


Cats Don't Like Water

by rainbowflavored_fiction, squishyprince



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Human Carmilla Karnstein, Multichapter, POV Third Person, Slow Burn, Smut, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, future smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2018-10-17 17:02:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 45,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10598331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainbowflavored_fiction/pseuds/rainbowflavored_fiction, https://archiveofourown.org/users/squishyprince/pseuds/squishyprince
Summary: “You destroyed my sand castle and are now attempting to defend yourself by insulting my hard work. Oops, didn’t mean to dump a pail of water on your head.” inspired AU, plus "Everything you draw on your skin also appears on your soulmate’s skin", and soulmate marks. Basically I just need this. (also laf and perry aren't childhood friends in this)





	1. Rough, Coarse, Gets Everywhere

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**If** there's one thing on this Earth that Carmilla could not stand, it was the beach. Everything about it made her miserable: hot sun, rough sand, screaming children, wet seaweed, and when seagulls decide your head is the perfect place to take a dump. If that wasn't reason enough, the uncomfortable bathing suits that left tan (more like burn) lines and friction rashes were the icing on the cake. Ever since Lafontaine and Perry had picked her up from her apartment this morning, Carmilla had a frown chiseled into her face that couldn't be shaken. Not even the gorgeous ride out of the city to the beach could cheer her up, as she leaned her head against the window and watched the scenery roll by.

 

“Hey Mistress of the Night, want to turn that frown upside down?” Laf called from the front seat, grinning back at Carmilla. Carmilla flipped them the bird, causing Lafontaine to burst out laughing. And despite herself, Carmilla couldn’t help but crack a little smile at the nickname. It was one of the many she received, all fitting with her grim aesthetic, fair skin, and dark hair. Even the bathing suit she was wearing today matched the look. She was wearing a bikini that was a deep red color, simple in design, but it accentuated her subtle curves and highlighter her ass. While she did enjoy the dark color, she didn’t exactly appreciate how  _ not  _ tan it made her look. On top of that she had dark jean shorts and a tank top acting as a coverup. Even though she hated bathing suits, the beach, and everything to do with it, she thought she looked damn good.

 

“We’re here! Now both of you don’t forget to put on your sunblock, I packed SPF thirty through 100 so that way you both would have options.” Perry said as she pulled into the parking lot of the beach. Carmilla and Lafontaine groaned loudly, knowing that Perry could go on an hour long rant, just about skin safety in the sun.

 

“Okay you and I both know that nothing past SPF forty five actually has any particularly stronger effects.” Lafontaine quipped. The two of them began to argue over the science of sunscreen as Perry found somewhere to park. Carmilla sat up in her seat when the car came to a halt, and started to reach around to put her belongings into her bag for the beach. Lafontaine and Perry both jumped out of the car, and Carm followed suit, walking around to the back of the car to open the trunk.

 

“Here, I can take the chairs, if you take the cooler and the umbrella and towels?” Lafontaine offered, grabbing three chairs out of the trunk. Perry and Carmilla nodded, grabbing the equipment and slamming the trunk shut, “Don’t forget to lock it, Per.”

 

“Got it Laf.” Perry said, locking the car and giving Lafontaine a quick kiss on the cheek. Lafontaine’s cheeks flushed like a sunburn, and Carmilla stuck out her tongue and made a gagging noise.

 

“Ewww, get a room you two.” Carmilla said, giving them a snarky smirk as the three of them headed out onto the hot sand.

 

As they scavenged for a place to plant themselves, Carmilla stared at the matching tattoos on Lafontaine’s and Perry’s left forearms. They were soulmate marks; something that appeared when they first bumped into each others in the halls of Silas University. Lafontaine, a freshman at Silas, had been running out of their room trying to get to the lab in time for class when they collided with Lola Perry, another freshman. The collision caused them both to fall flat on their behinds, with Perry frantically checking in to make sure that they were okay, something that would become characteristic for them. As they both slowly checked over themselves, Lafontaine noticed something appearing on Perry’s left forearm. It looked like a black spiral swirling out from a central point, with some of the lines braided like a Celtic knot. When they realized that the same mark was appearing on their own arm, they quickly introduced themselves, and the rest is history. (Although, Perry did insist that they took it slow, just like if they had been normally dating).

 

“Hey Carmilla, this spot look okay?”

 

“What?” Carmilla was pulled back to reality by Perry’s shrill voice. The area around them was on the calm side of things, far away from all of  screaming young children, and closer towards the privately owned beach club that was on the same shore, “This location looks great, we can set up shop.”

 

The three of them dumped down their stuff, with Lafontaine setting up the umbrella as Carmilla set up the chairs. Once they were all placed, Carmilla tugged the tank top off over her head and slipped out of her shorts, placing both garments back into her bag in a ball.

 

“Sunscreen! Don’t forget your sunscreen!” Perry called to Carmilla, practically running over to her with a bottle in her hands, starting to spread it over Carmilla’s pale skin before she could even adjust to what was happening. Instead of fighting it, Carm just sighed and starting to rub some in on her face while Perry diligently covered her.

 

“God Perry I feel like I’m even more pale, how do you even have any sunscreen left in the bottle?” Carmilla commented, making a bit of a scoff. Perry frowned and as she went to open her mouth to retort, Lafontaine rested a gentle hand on her shoulder, and raised their eyebrows at her. Perry closed her mouth and walked over towards Laf to help them put on their sunscreen. 

 

~~~~

 

After about an hour of reading in the sun while trying not to get burnt to a crisp, Carmilla was bored. Perry and Lafontaine were swimming in the ocean, splashing each other with the water and being utterly adorable. For such odd people, they truly make an adorable couple, even when Carmilla sometimes wanted to rip their heads off. She stood up and walked down towards the water where the two of them were goofing off.

 

“Hey nerds, I’m gonna go take a walk, lying down is going to be the death of me.” She called out to them. They nodded and waved back to her, and Carmilla started walking down the sand. She got lost in her own thoughts, wandering in and out of the small waves that reached up the shore. She was completely in her own world, and didn’t notice her surroundings till she felt herself tripping over something.

 

“What the fuck did you do that for?!”

 


	2. Line in the Sand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla should really watch where she's walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**By** the time Carmilla looked down, it was far too late. She found her feet buried in what was an oddly large pile of sand which connected to half of a newly crushed sand castle. Internally, Carmilla cursed herself, knowing she’d have to deal with crying children and angry parents. She froze, unsure of what she should do, and began weighing her options. Should she fix the sandcastle? No, she had no idea what it looked like before she made it into a pancake, and there was no way she had enough time before someone came to reprimand her. After weighing all of her options as quickly as possible, Carmilla decided she should make a break for it, despite the potential embarrassment. But before she could turn to make good on her escape, another voice called out to her, halting her in her tracks. This voice was different, less angry, and she turned up towards the shore to see where it was coming from.

 

To her surprise, instead of angry parents, a short girl was running over towards her. Carmilla did a double take as the girl got closer to her, completely blown away at the appearance of the woman in front of her. She looked like she was roughly twenty, only about an inch shorter than Carmilla herself, with honey-brown hair and a toned body. Carmilla was struggling to keep her eyes from wandering all over the girl, wanting to take in every inch available.

 

“Sorry about the cursing, that was my friend Danny, she saw you step on my sandcastle.” The girl said. Carmilla raised her eyebrows and reached her hand to run it through her hair that had blown into her face from the wind. She liked the girl’s voice, she decided; it was sweet, charming, and just a bit shrill. “Oh I’m sorry, my name is Laura. Laura Hollis.”

 

“Carmilla, Carmilla Karnstein.” She said as she stuck her hand out to shake Laura’s already extended one, watching as Laura’s eyes deliberately looked her up and down. Carmilla smirked as Laura’s eyes met hers again, knowing that they both knew Laura had been caught red handed. For some reason, neither of them really seemed to mind. “I’m sorry about your sandcastle, I wasn’t exactly looking where I was going. But on the other hand, I do think I’ve done you a favor cupcake.”

 

“Oh really? And what might that be?” Laura crossed her arms over her chest, unable to discern if she was being genuinely flirted with.

 

Everything about Carmilla oozed seduction, from the way that she was standing to how her eyes glanced at everything with purpose, like when Laura saw her staring at her lips. Laura willed herself to remain composed, reminding herself to girl the hell up, despite how the pet-name that rolled far too easily off Carmilla’s lips. Laura didn’t know if this is how Carmilla acted with everyone, but she had never wanted to be special so badly before.

 

“Well, speaking frankly, there’s no way someone should be allowed to make such an improper sandcastle.” Laura watched as the grin on Carmilla’s face deepened, making her insides turn to pudding. She was determined to stay in control, she wasn’t going to let someone insult her sandcastle, even if that someone was a hot girl at the beach. Before she could open her mouth to respond, Laura’s friends Danny and Kirsch came galloping over, quickly standing behind Laura to act like a group of bouncers. Carmilla would be lying if the broad shouldered hunk of man and the tall amazonian woman weren’t terrifying, but Carmilla doesn’t crack that easily.

 

“Care to introduce me to your bodyguards, creampuff?” Carmilla practically purred, making sure Laura knew that even though she was outnumbered, she still had all of the power.

 

“This is Danny and her boyfriend Kirsch.” Laura said. Kirsch wrapped his arm around Danny’s waist and Carmilla secretly noticed the little matching soulmate marks that they each had on their right shoulders. Laura turned to them and continued, “This is Carmilla, the one who decided to ruin my gorgeous creation.”

 

Kirsch didn’t seem all to phased by the news, spending time looking around awkwardly as the tension between Carmilla and Danny increased by the second. Danny visibly filled with passion and the need to protect Laura, 

“Want to try something stupid like that again?” Danny said menacingly, stepping in front of Laura so that she was towering over Carmilla. She tried to remain calm as Danny looked down at her like she was about to snap her like a toothpick, but realized her composure was going to break if she didn’t do something soon.

 

“Hey D-bear, how about we go cool off, yeah?” It surprisingly was Kirsch who came to her rescue, practically pulling Danny away from Carmilla and down the beach for a walk, leaving the two girls alone again, staring back and forth from each other to the ground.

 

“I’m sorry about that, she’s a bit protective of me.” Laura said quietly, embarrassed of how the introduction had gone. Carmilla chuckled softly, causing Laura to smile with relief.

 

“No problem cutie, I don’t blame her.” Carmilla replied, then took a moment to look at her watch. She hadn’t realized how far she walked, as it was almost an hour later from when she left, “Shit, I left my friends like an hour ago and I’ve gotta get back before one of them panics enough to rip her hair out. But I hope to see you around, and good luck on that rebuild.”

 

And with a wink she had set back off, leaving Laura gawking at her figure as it got farther away. She licked her lips subconsciously, and shook her head at herself. Turning around, Laura walked back towards the beach setup her friends had created. With Danny and Kirsch on a cool down walk, only Mel was there lying on a towel in the sun.

 

~~~

 

When Laura returned back from the beach she had been thoroughly baked through from the sun and dried out by the salty water. She eagerly climbed up the stairs of her apartment, not waiting for Mel to come inside, and bolted to the shower. She shut the door and turned on the water, stripping down quickly and jumping right in. It was a brief shower, and a cold one at that, but it made Laura feel refreshed and clean. After she was through she got out and started to dry herself off with her towel, wandering over towards the mirror in the bathroom. As she moved her hair to one side to dry it, Laura stopped dead in her tracks, and her face lost all its color as if she had seen a ghost.

 

“Mel? Can you come take a look at something?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so honored and happy that people are reading and enjoying this. It keeps me motivated to write more. If there's anything I can do to improve or you have AUs you want written, send them my way. I want this story to be as enjoyable to read as it is for me to write.


	3. Going Under

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**It** was smaller than she had expected it to be. Laura remembered watching the soulmate mark appear on Danny’s shoulder after she tackled Kirsch for the annual football game at school between the Summer Society and the Zetas. Laura had worried, thinking it was a bruise forming, and the tears welling up in Danny’s eyes would have suggested that to be true. Looking back on it, Laura wonders if it was just because at the time, Danny couldn’t stand that knuckle head.

 

Laura studied the new found mark on her body. It was on the right side of her neck, tucked neatly underneath her ear. In design it was circular, just like all the other soulmate marks, as the circular nature speaks to how everything always goes back to them in time. It looked as though someone had woven stars together to create the pattern, and it’s beauty truly took her breath away.

 

“What’s going on, are you alright?” Mel came into the bathroom, stopping dead in her tracks the moment she saw the reflection of Laura in the mirror. Her jaw practically reached the floor as she gasped. “Holy shit, Hollis.”

 

Laura turned to her to say something, but when she opened her mouth, no words would come out. Mel picked up where Laura couldn’t, reaching her arms out and giving her a hug. Laura eagerly accepted the hug, finding herself crying happy tears as they embraced. This kind of connection and contact was uncharacteristic for the two of them. Laura and Danny had been roommates, but eventually she moved out to be with Kirsch, and because Laura couldn’t pay for the apartment alone, Mel fit the empty slot. The two didn’t have a hateful relationship, just not the most loving one. After living together they had grown closer, but were never affectionate towards one another. But because of the intensity of the life event that had happened to Laura, a hug seemed fitting for the first time. After a short moment, the hug ended and Laura wiped the tears away from her eyes.

 

“So, who is it?” Mel asked her. Laura’s face went from utter joy to confusion, as she struggled to remember who she made physical contact with that day. She had brushed hands with the guy working at the ice cream truck when she handed him the money, probably bumped into people at the beach, maybe even more that that. Laura wracked her mind till the image of a very particular smirk appeared, causing her insides to wobble like Jello.

 

“I think it’s that girl from the beach, Carmilla.” Laura said softly, unaware at how to feel from the news. Sure, she was beyond thrilled as she already had a little crush on Carmilla, even from their brief interaction. Well, maybe more than a little one. But there was absolutely no way that Carmilla felt the same way about her. Hell, they had just met, Carmilla probably wasn’t even thinking about Laura.

 

“Hey, from how you were talking about her in the car and defending her from Danny, sounds like you really liked her.” Laura felt her face heat up, realizing how whipped she already was, “I’m sure you got her number, right?”

 

“Um.” Laura looked down and awkwardly shifted, “No, I don’t have her number. God I’m so fucked, aren’t I? Who knows where she even lives? For all I know, she’s from out of state who’s only visiting for a littl-”

 

“Hollis, calm the fuck down. Take a second to breathe, sit down, hell put some clothes on and then we’ll talk about this.” Mel placed a hand firmly on Laura’s shoulder, causing her to stop rambling. She nodded her head quickly, “Let’s go out somewhere to dinner, hell I’ll even make it my treat for the special occasion.”

 

“Thank you Mel.” Laura mumbled out softly. She wandered out of Laura’s room leaving her alone with her thoughts. Laura took a deep breath, gathering up her courage to do the simple task of putting clothes on. She stood, walking out of the bathroom and over to her dresser and started to get dressed. Internally, she was swimming in her emotions, tangled up between happiness and anxiety and everything else that could be felt. Because her mind was so preoccupied, she threw caution to the wind and decided that she would just wear something she hadn’t before, because she had no mental energy to care how she looked.

 

And that’s how she ended up at a gay bar with Mel and Danny wearing the most provocative dress she’d ever seen. It was a short and lacy off the shoulder number she had no memory of buying. The color was dark, the dress was tight, and if it wasn’t for her third glass of liquid courage, she would have run home by now.

 

“I still can’t believe it’s that girl from the beach who gave you a soul mark.” Danny said with a chuckle. The three of them were sitting in a booth away from the dance floor so they could hear each other over the sound of the music. “Now don’t get me wrong, she didn’t exactly give me the best first impression, but I see the appeal.”

 

Danny gave Laura a wink and a nudge, and Laura just rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue in response. “Hey at least you got to meet her! I was hanging out in the sun and little miss Laura decided that she wouldn’t bring it up at all, till you guys did in the car.” Mel chuckled out. The two of them seemed happily buzzed, enjoying the girls night out that had come from the celebration. However, Laura didn’t really feel like celebrating.

 

Danny and Mel kept talking, but Laura wasn’t paying attention. She was lost in the thing she was drinking, whatever it was. Mel had ordered it, Laura thought she remembered her saying it was a Long Island iced tea. To be fair, she couldn’t give much of a damn what it was that she was drinking, as long as it was getting her drunk. Despite her never admitting it, Laura was a complete lightweight. Half of the drink was gone and already Laura felt looser, all soft and fuzzy around the edges. Looking up at the smiling faces of Danny and Mel, she felt a push that she should at least try to enjoy herself.

 

“You know what, I’m tired of just sitting, let’s go dance.” Laura half stated half mumbled, pushing against Danny’s side to let her out of the booth. The other two girls giggled as they got up and walked out to the dance floor. It wasn’t long before Laura was actually enjoying herself, smiling and laughing as her body swayed to the music. She may have been swaying a little too much, because she backed up and pumped into someone. Turning around to apologize, her tongue turned into a knot inside her mouth.

 

“Well, don't you look like a virgin sacrifice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just had to, it's one of my favorite lines from the show.


	4. Sea Legs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura's a lightweight and Carmilla carries around sharpies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**Carmilla** Karnstein was there looking stunning as ever smirking back at Laura. She was dressed in black leather pants which were pulled taut over her skin, showing off her legs. She wore a black blouse and black combat boots, and the only about her outfit that wasn’t black was the deep red lipstick that Laura couldn’t keep herself from staring at.

 

“Long time no see, did you miss me cupcake?” Carmilla purrs, secretly adoring how caught off guard Laura is. Laura swallowed hard and tries to regain her composure, wishing the alcohol clouding her brain would either work better, or not at all.

 

“You wish.” Laura said back, “I mean, how do I know you’re not just stalking me? Can’t exactly control who I bump into, but people could control if I bump into them.”

 

“And what have you done that warrants having a stalker, cutie? I don’t know anything about you, so how could I stalk you?” Carmilla responded, watching Laura quickly become frustrated.

“I’m just saying you seem to keep showing up when I’m around sweetie pie, creampuff, other edible things.” Laura rambled out, trying to be equally sexy as Carmilla is with her pet names. Judging by the grin on Carmilla’s face, it wasn’t working, meaning Laura probably looked like ever more of an idiot than before. It was in that moment that she decided she wanted the alcohol to work better, “Hey, come with me to fetch my drink?”

 

Carmilla wasn’t given much of a choice in response as Laura grabbed her hand and shakily tugged Carmilla back towards the table where she had been with Danny and Mel. Speaking of those two, they were nowhere to be found. Laura couldn’t even spot her ginger giant on the dance floor, but maybe she just didn’t look hard enough. Carmilla stood as she watch Laura grab the glass in front of her and down the entirety in one go, then down three shots. She was stunned; it wasn’t that she pegged Laura as a drinker, hell she barely knew the girl she couldn’t peg her as anything, but it was certainly an impressive act. Laura took a quiet deep breath as the sweetness wore off and the drink burned down her throat. She hadn’t exactly thought this through, or what to do after, so she just turned around and dragged Carmilla back to the dance floor.

 

Carmilla didn’t mind being dragged, it gave her plenty of time to gawk and stare at the gorgeous girl in front of her. Her staring was interrupted when Laura promptly lost her balance on the dance floor, causing Carmilla to spring into action, grabbing her quickly and tugging her into her body. This time around it was Laura who had the stunned expression as Carmilla looked down at the girl who she had just saved from colliding with the floor. Their faces were close, far too close and Carmilla did not have the strength or willpower to keep herself from staring at Laura’s lips, wishing she could feel them. Instead, she straightened Laura and got her back onto her feet.

 

“I’m so so sorry I didn’t mean to trip-” Laura began to babble, unable to control the words coming from her mouth. Whenever she was nervous or felt awkward, she rambled, which was statistically proven (by herself) to only make situations worse. Despite that, the behavior still continued. Carmilla felt herself grinning at Laura’s adorable panic, taking the moment to silence her by saying, “No problem cutie.”

 

Laura smiled easily back at Carmilla, starting to feel the full effect of the drink she had finished. It was a little fuzzy, but she did recall telling Mel to order her whatever tasted good but still had the most amount of alcohol possible. She was regretting that decision as she stood awkwardly in front of Carmilla, not feeling quite coordinated enough to dance. But dancing badly was not as awkward as not dancing, so she started to let herself go again. Carmilla smirked as she watched Laura dance around, but suddenly became concerned when she realized how off balance Laura was. Again.

 

Instead of waiting for another accident to happen, Carmilla just snaked an arm around Laura’s waist, her hand pressing firmly on her lower back, as she pulled the top of them together tightly. She heard Laura gasp softly as they were now chest to chest. Carmilla used her other hand to pick up Laura’s dangling one and held it as they just swayed slightly to the music. Sure, this wasn’t exactly how you dance at a nightclub, or really anywhere besides a wedding, but Carmilla didn’t trust Laura on her two feet alone. And judging by the way Laura quickly relaxed into Carmilla, leaning her full body weight into her as they rocked back and forth slowly, Carm realized Laura didn’t trust it either. Laura’s insides felt like they had been put in a blender, as the alcohol swirled around with the burning sensation of Carmilla touching her. The more of her body that touched Carmilla, the more that Laura felt the heat radiate through her body. 

 

She buried her face into Carmilla’s chest, knowing that her cheeks were flushing red and desperately wanting to hide that. She inhaled Carmilla’s scent; it was warm and sharp and comforting, like the perfume she probably put on earlier was now just a lingering thought on her  body. She wondered if Carmilla could tell that she was being sniffed, but Laura didn’t dare to look up to check, and so they just kept letting themselves sway back and forth. Laura felt her pulse race as she noticed Carmilla leaning down towards her ear.

 

“Somebody’s had too much to drink.” Carmilla purred softly, letting her lips brush gently against Laura’s ear. Screw burning, just that simple touch was enough to make Laura feel like she was on fire. She could hear Carmilla’s breathing and feel as her hot breath puffed out against her neck and ear.

 

“Who’s that somebody?” Laura slurred, not daring to lift her head or move at all, nothing to break the closeness of Carmilla’s lips to her. Laura begged internally for Carmilla to say her name. She knew it would cause her to collapse into herself, probably become a ball of pure lust and frustration. She knew she should get control over herself, put distance between the two of them before she did something dumb while drunk and never figured out of Carmilla was truly her soul mate, but Laura loved to be the architect of her own suffering.

 

“I think that someone is you, princess.” Carmilla said softly, low and sultry, even closer to Laura’s ear. If Laura thought it was her name that was going to make her come undone, she was in no way prepared for this. Laura felt her whole body shudder at the pet-name, praying Carmilla just mistook it for stumbling. She bit her lip to stop herself from whining, cursing herself for being so far gone for someone she didn’t even know. Before pulling away from Laura’s ear, Carmilla made sure to nip at the flesh ever so softly, knowing she was driving Laura absolutely crazy. Carmilla barely knew her, but it was quickly a favorite thing to do. Carmilla had been subtle, but not subtle enough so that way Laura wouldn’t feel the way her teeth scraped against her ear. Had she been sober, maybe she would’ve been able to stay composed. But with intoxication not on her side, she felt herself become putty, completely malleable in Carmilla’s capable hands. “Let’s go find whoever brought you.”

 

Laura nodded, but was too far gone to notice herself being half carried off the dance floor and back to the booth. She felt herself starting to slip out of consciousness as she sat in the booth, and she started to fall asleep. Carmilla chuckled to herself, and waited for people to come back to the booth. Judging by the bags scattered, she knew Laura hadn’t come alone, and she was glad because Laura needed to get home safely. Before she forgot, Carm found a sharpie in her pocket and wrote her number down on Laura’s thigh, seeing as it was exposed skin and an excuse to touch her thigh. She wrote that Laura should call her, because as much fun as it is playing babysitter, she’d rather do it when Laura was sober. Danny bounded up to the table and upon seeing Carmilla, she did a double take.

 

“Well hello there vampirella” Danny said with a grin. Carmilla was a bit taken aback, seeing as they barely knew each other and the last time they spoke she basically threatened to break her in half, she wasn’t exactly expecting teasing nicknames. What changed? What even had time to change?

 

“Our good friend her Laura has had, far too much to drink.” She says softly, looking down at the girl passed out in the booth with a small smile. “I assume you’re responsible for her? Not that I’ve experience to say, but she doesn’t seem like the type to go out alone.”

 

“Nah, I’m here with her and our other friend Mel, we went out to celebrate and I was actually coming back in to find Laura cause Mel is waiting in the taxi.” Danny says as she effortlessly picked up Laura, starting to walk away with her in arms.

 

“What were you celebrating?” Carmilla asks, walking next to Danny as her curiosity got the best of her.

 

“Her soulmate mark appeared today, so we decided to have a ladies night out.” Danny said. Carmilla felt her heart stop and was frozen in place, as if someone had filled her with hardening concrete. Danny didn’t notice, and just kept walking till she was out of view, while Carmilla tried to make the room stop spinning. It was just some girl, she told herself, nobody special or irreplaceable. She shook her head and decided to just leave the bar, sending the people from work she had went with a text to let them know. Carmilla called a taxi over and spent the ride silently mulling over her thoughts, trying not to give into the devastating thought that she most likely had fallen a bit for a practically unavailable girl. She paid the driver and went to her apartment, trudging up the three flights of stairs before walking down the hall to her door. She closed it, kicking off her shoes and turning off the lights as she went towards her bedroom. Before turning off the lights, she started to undress, stripping down into just underwear and walking over to her dresser to grab a shirt. Once she grabbed one and pushed the drawer shut, she noticed something on her thigh. Her heart skipped a beat as she hurried over towards the lamp in her room, as she read over the exact note she had written earlier on Laura’s leg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know how i'm doing in the comments! I love getting to read them and knowing that people are interested in the story


	5. Treasure Hunt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**Carmilla** woke to something warm and fuzzy rubbing against her face. Her eyes fluttered open to find her cat, Mattie, nuzzling into her. A smile slowly crept onto her face as she reached out to pet her soft black fur. The cat purred softly, pressing herself further into Carmilla’s hand as she pet her. Carmilla’s smile grew as Mattie came closer, walking over her body to nestle into the space by Carmilla’s neck. Carmilla always slept on her side, so Mattie often curled up behind her. Carmilla relaxed, feeling the familiarity of her cat curled up against her body was causing herself to fall back to sleep. That is, until she felt Mattie start licking a spot on her neck.

 

“Mattie.” Carmilla mumbled, rolling over to look at the cat in the eyes. The two stared at each other for a while, before scampering off the bed and out of the room. Groaning softly, Carm rolled back to look at the clock on her bedside table. It was eight thirty in the morning, far too early on a Sunday after just going out, but excitement was starting to bubble in Carmilla’s chest. She found her soul mate. She found herself tugging the covers off the bed, quickly leaning over to see if the writing was still on her thigh. Sure enough, the note she had scribbled on Laura was ever present from the night before.

 

Carmilla smiled, full and widely, allowing herself to feel the true range of her emotions. She acted tough and on guard and mysterious but deep down, she had it bad for Laura the moment they met. Of course she would never admit that she had the hots for a dorky girl that she barely knew, but that didn't mean she didn't feel that way. Hell, she hardly knew Laura and the thought of being around the other girl already brought Carmilla to her knees. She got out of bed and rushed to her bathroom, starting to strip down from her clothing to find where the mate mark was located. It took her being fully naked in front of the mirror to find that she hadn’t needed to take off her clothes at all.

The mate mark was located on her neck, nestled and tucked underneath her ear, right in the spot where her Mattie had been licking this morning. Carmilla chuckled, unsure if it was a sign from the universe or not, but decided that she would take it for whatever it was worth. After all, she did live in a world where having a soul mate existed as a real and concrete thing. Despite that this was common place, it still baffled her that there was someone out there destined to be with her. Obviously they had their own purpose and importance in life, but the fact that there was someone who was crafted to only be meant for you truly, was a beautiful fact. To Carmilla, it made the crazy and randomized world around her a little bit more purposeful, and made it feel a little bit more like home.

 

She pulled her pajamas back on and walked slowly out of her room and into the kitchen, deciding to make herself a cup of coffee. She had Saturdays and Sundays off from work, so she usually allowed herself Sunday to get over whatever hangover she usually had from the night before. But because of running into Laura, she hadn't even had anything to drink last night. She realized she didn't exactly mind not having to nurse herself through a hangover, but that didn't mean her habits were going to change any time soon.

 

While the coffee was brewing, she walked over to the fridge and grabbed the ingredients to make omelettes. It wasn’t her usual breakfast, but for some reason she just felt like cooking; maybe it was the good mood she was in. As she prepped the ingredients she started to hum, and got lost in a daydream that involved a sleepy and slightly hung over Laura wandering out of her bedroom.

 

She got lost in her own little world, imagining how cute Laura would look wearing her clothes and coming to wrap her arms around Carmilla’s waist. She imagined feeling Laura pressed against her back, smelling sweetly like vanilla and honey as she did last night. She thought of turning around to kiss those beautiful lips and reveled at how they must feel. She felt herself getting more and more wrapped up as the kiss got a little longer and hands started to tease waistbands and before she knew it Carmilla felt a sharp pain.

 

“Fuck!” She growled, looking down at the cutting board. She had accidentally nicked her hand while cutting vegetables because she was far too eager to think about that short blonde girl who had already seemingly ran away with her heart. Carm sucked on her finger while she went to get a bandaid. “This is gonna be a really, really long week.”

 

~~~

 

Laura grumbled and sat down at her desk. It was only Wednesday and she already wanted to tear her hair out. The new interns she had been set to keep track of were giving her absolute hell. Two out of the three of them couldn’t write at all, and the last one was sweet, but had no sense of time management. Sure they could write, but they would get it in to you three weeks late. However, managing teenagers and college students had given her an excuse to avoid calling Carmilla.

 

“Um, Miss Hollis? I think I jammed the copy machine. It’s not accepting any paper and I think it’s starting to leak ink.” One of the interns said at the doorframe of her office. Laura shot her best death glare at them, and their face paled as they scampered off, probably going to find maintenance.

 

Laura ran her hand through her hair and took a deep breath. It wasn’t enough to keep her from screaming, so she simply buried her face in her hands. After a moment of controlled breathing, she looked back up and placed her hands out flat on the table. She loved working as a journalist, she truly did, but she could not wait to do some yoga to relax when she got home. She opened up her laptop and started reading over one of the articles that she was tasked with editing when she noticed something odd.

 

On her left hand lines were beginning to appear, like someone was drawing on her skin, except no one was. She stopped reading and began to watch intently, as the lines turned into a full fledged doodle of a small little vampire. It was cute and cartoony, and it made Laura smile more than it probably should have. It was known that once soul mates had their marks, anything that they drew on their own skin would appear on the skin of their mate. She was almost positive it was Carmilla, but she still didn’t know for sure. Sure, a simple text could’ve solved all of that, but Laura was never one to make her life easier on purpose. So instead of texting the number that made her phone feel like a ticking time bomb, she decided to grab a pen and doodle something on her hand.

 

She wasn’t sure what she should draw; writing out a question of who it was seemed far too cheesy, and not nearly as interesting as drawing a picture. But what was there to draw? They had only met twice, and days had passed without talking. Suddenly, it came to her and she started doodling the best sandcastle she could on her wrist. She found herself chuckling as lines that eventually became a bulldozer, and eventually squealed out loud when she realized that Carmilla really was her soul mate. Who else would see a sandcastle and immediately go to a bulldozer?

 

“Um, Miss Hollis?” Laura heard this quietly, coming from the entrance to her office. She jerked her head up quickly, realizing that whoever was at the door definitely heard her squeal. Realizing it was only one of the other interns, she found herself both relieved, and mortified.

 

“Yes, what is it? Did JP get the printer under control?” Laura said calmly, doing her best to pretend as though she hadn’t just been squealing like a teenage girl just a moment ago. As the intern started to explain what was going on, she noticed more lines being drawn on her body. She couldn’t really tell what it was going to be, but the shapes were starting to become suggestive so she quickly cut the intern off,  “I hate to interrupt, but I really must make a call right now. Please shut my door on the way out.”

 

The intern nodded yes with wide eyes and shut the door, leaving as quickly as they appeared. Not wanting to know what the finished drawing was going to look like, Laura dug in her purse for her phone and started dialing that particular number.

 

“Hello?” The voice on the other end of the line was smooth and low but a little uncertain, but the drawing on Laura’s arm had stopped appearing.

 

“Hey there, lady killer.”


	6. Sun Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Date night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**The** taller girl stood in front of the mirror in her room, running a hand through her hair to achieve that artfully disheveled look. It was much more difficult to look like you put no effort into something than people realized. Looking effortless unfortunately takes a lot of effort. Once she finally stopped messing with her hair, she took a look at the rest of her outfit. It was similar to what she always wore, but then again, don’t mess with success. Tight high-waisted jeans, a pretty blouse, and her classic leather jacket. Despite it being the summer, there was a cool breeze outside which demanded a jacket. Plus, even if Carm herself didn’t need it, what’s more charming than offering your jacket up?

 

“You got this Carm, gonna be great.” She mumbled to herself softly. Adding the final touch to her look, she applied her classic deep red lipstick, completing the femme-fatale look. She pet Mattie good bye and grabbed her helmet and keys before heading out.

 

Carmilla’s motorcycle was her pride and joy. She worked hard for years and saved up the money to finally purchase the bike she had been dreaming of. She opened the door to the apartment’s garage as she slipped on her helmet. She turned on the engine and felt it roar to life, flicking up the kick stand before speeding off to go pick up her date.

 

Laura was a bit of a mess. She had tried on four different outfits, two different hair styles, attempted a makeup tutorial she saw on the internet (before deciding that was utterly futile), and hadn’t even begun to think about shoes yet. She looked at the clock, knowing she was running out of time.

 

“Ugh it’s a first date would you just pick out something so I don’t have to iron everything you own?” Mel called out with a grumble. She had been sitting on Laura’s bed the whole time, helping her pick out what to wear. Laura stuck her tongue out at Mel, reaching down and grabbing the outfit she had put on first. Best to go with your instincts, right?

 

“How do I look? I mean how do I really look?” Laura asked Mel once she had put the outfit on. Mel looked up and smiled at you, giving a thumbs up. “And don’t just approve of the outfit just because you don’t want to iron.”

 

“Hey, I am being genuine here. My desire to not iron clothing has nothing to do with my approval of your outfit.” Mel replied in a snarky tone, flipping Laura the bird. Laura flipped Mel off with both hands, goofily bouncing back and forth on each foot with a silly look on her face. Mel laughed loudly, giving up on being angry at Laura.

 

“Yeah that’s what I thought, take that.” The shorter girl said with a fake game face, knowing Mel could easily beat her in any kind of fight any day. The sound of a knock on the door interrupted the moment between them, and Laura frantically grabbed her shoes and slipped them on, scampering towards the door before Mel could open the door first and embarrass her.

 

Laura did her best to not gasp out loud of the sight in front of her. She had opened the door right as Carmilla was running her hand through her perfectly wavy hair. She looked up at Laura with a flirtatious smirk tugging at the corner of her lips, and Laura’s voice threatened to disobey her when the dark haired girl bit her lip.

 

“Hey there creampuff, ready to go?” Carmilla said, her voice at it’s usually low tone, except sounding a little huskier than normal. The shorter girl would be lying if that little bit of husk hadn’t sparked a fire inside her. Carmilla had her arm extended out with a motorcycle helmet in her hand and Laura apprehensively took it in her hands after grabbing her apartment keys.

 

“Race ya.” Laura said with a giggle, dashing away and out of her apartment, not daring to look back at whatever face Carmilla was making at her. She wouldn’t have to wonder for long as when she stopped running as she reached the parking lot, she heard the taller girl huffing out of breath behind her.

 

“Now when you said we were going to go on a date, this isn’t exactly how I pictured becoming out of breath.” Carm panted out, shaking her head teasingly at Laura. Laura felt her cheeks flush red, but she would blame that on having just run.

 

“Take me out to dinner first, I’m a bit old school.” Laura said, surprising both Carmilla and herself with her own composure. The dark haired girl chuckled and started walking over to her motorcycle, knowing Laura would follow.

 

“Here, let me help.” Carmilla said quietly when they got closer, taking the helmet out of Laura’s hands. Laura brushed her hair back behind her ears as Carm stepped forward, placing the helmet on top of her head and pushing it down gently.

 

Laura realized suddenly how close they were, all it would take would be for her to lean forward and her lips could be on those teasingly red lips that drove her crazy. But all she could do was blush and stare as Carmilla was far too busy making sure Laura was safe in the helmet. Laura noticed that Carm’s eyes had wandered down to her lips, so she made a point to bite her bottom lip as subtly and as seductively as she could, and felt more than slightly accomplished when she saw Carmilla’s cheeks become pink.

 

“So, how long have you been riding a motorcycle?” Laura asked, trying to maintain her cool and control over the situation, still riding on the high of making Carmilla blush. She watched as Carmilla swung her toned legs over the bike. God if her ass didn’t look sinful enough already, it looked even better while she was sitting on her bike.

 

“Long enough to know I need a helmet myself.” The girl replied while putting on her own helmet. Once it was secured, she reached her hand out to Laura to help her on the back of the bike. Laura took her hand eagerly, doing her best to fight every clumsy urge in her body to simply just wobble and fall over. Carmilla grabbed Laura’s arms and wrapped them around her waist tightly, mumbling softly, “and long enough to know you can’t be shy.”

 

The engine purred with life below them as Carmilla turned it on, and Laura held on tighter as the two of them sped off towards the restaurant.

 

~~~

 

Carmilla felt herself giddy with laughter as she and Laura walked through the park after dinner. Both of them were rosy cheeked from the strenuous amount of innuendos that had come up during their dinner, on top of the genuine conversation. The elephant in the room was the fact that neither of them talked about the fact that they were soul mates, but they were both having far too good of a time to really care.

 

“Oo! Ice cream!” Laura squealed out before she could stop herself, instantly blushing with embarrassment at her own childlike nature. Carmilla only laughed and let Laura take her hand, dragging her over towards the ice cream truck that was in the park.

 

“Order whatever you want princess, my treat.” Carmilla purred softly near Laura’s ear, causing her blush to darken as Carmilla ordered something for herself. After Carmilla placing her hand on Laura’s thigh to shut her up while trying to fight to pay at the restaurant, (which there was no way that Laura whimpered at, no way at all), she didn’t put up a fight. Laura ordered chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream, and Carmilla orders soft serve vanilla.

 

The two of them started to eat their ice cream, going back to walking along the path way. The setting summer sun was warm, and despite the cool breeze, the ice cream was still starting to soften slightly. The two had gotten so caught up in talking that Laura had forgotten to pay attention to her ice cream, resulting with vanilla ice cream starting to dribble onto her fingers.

 

“Aw damn it, of course we didn’t grab any napkins either.” Laura grumbled softly. Carmilla watched her eyes light up with an idea as the shorter girl took a large lick to clean the base of her ice cream cone, before switching it to the other hand. Carmilla watched, pupils blown, and mouth slightly agape as Laura intently starting to lick and suck the ice cream off her fingers.

 

Laura knew exactly what she was doing, being teasing and slow and far more suggestive than need be. Most importantly, she was driving Carmilla crazy, and she was loving every second of it. Carmilla knew she shouldn’t be that turned on from someone cleaning off their hand, but even as she tried to justify it inside her head she found herself only more intrigued. By the time Laura finished, Carmilla’s mouth was dry.

 

“Cookie dough ice cream is my favorite, cause you get to have cookies and ice cream.” Laura continued innocently, like she hadn’t done anything at to make the dark haired girl’s heart beat faster. Carmilla wasn’t giving up that easily though, but she was running out of ideas on how to get Laura back.

 

“Sounds like two of your favorite things, princess.” Carmilla purred back, making sure to add more husk to her tone and watching her efforts pay off, as this time it was Laura’s turn to start blushing. ‘ _ Two can play at this game’ _ Carmilla thought to herself as she took extra long suggestive licks at her ice cream cone, watching as Laura’s face progressed into a darker flush. Carmilla grinned at the blushing girl, taking a second to slowly lick her lips free of ice cream.

 

The two of them kept walking and teasing each other back and forth until they ended up back at Carmilla’s motorcycle. She noticed Laura shiver slightly and took off her leather jacket, helping Laura into it and making sure her fingertips grazed over Laura’s skin while she did it.

 

“Look at you, professional badass. You look the part cutie.” Carm said with a wink, handing Laura her helmet and slipping on to the bike. Laura grumbled softly to herself, cursing her hormones and easily blushing face as she put on the helmet and got onto the back of the bike, wrapping her arms around Carmilla.

 

The ride back to Laura’s apartment was smooth and easy, and the two of them stalled the whole way back to her door, clearly not eager to let the night end. They’d already been out for hours, but that didn’t mean they were finished with each others company. Once they reached the door to Laura’s apartment, the two of them stood awkwardly, trying to contemplate what to do next. Feeling bold, Laura stepped in closer, closing most of the distance between the two of them. The space between them felt electric and the shorter girl had to do everything in her power to remain composed.

 

“Thank you for the lovely date Carm, it was truly amazing.” Laura said softly as though she didn’t want anyone else to hear it, except there was no one else around.

 

“Thank you for the company cutie, it was a lovely time.” Carmilla purred back. She could smell Laura’s shampoo and the leftover perfume and the sweet vanilla off her lips from the ice cream. She let her eyes flick down to those lips, biting her own slowly as she looked back up at Laura. The air was thick and Carmilla felt herself struggling to breathe as Laura leaned closer.

 

At the last possible moment, she moved her head to the side, kissing Carmilla on the cheek. She let her lips linger a little longer than a quick peck, and let her body brush against Carmilla’s from leaning forward. The smallest of breaths was exhaled from the taller girl's lips when Laura stopped pressing her lips to her. But before she leaned away, Laura leaned in closer, right by Carmilla’s ear.

 

“See you around, gorgeous.” Laura whispered, letting her breath puff out against Carmilla’s skin. Looking down, Laura saw the mate mark that was neatly tucked around Carmilla’s ear, and felt herself starting to become overwhelmed with emotion. Before she could do anything stupid, she backed up and went inside her apartment, closing the door before Carmilla could say anything.

 

The dark haired girl just chuckled to herself, sticking her hands in her pockets before walking back to the parking lot. It was going to be a cold drive home, because Laura had never given back her leather jacket. But as Carmilla sped back to her apartment, she could bring herself to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured cause this update was a little later that I should make it twice as long as my normal ones lol. Please let me know how you like it and any comments suggestions or edits! Thank you guys so much


	7. White Caps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little miss Laura has a very active imagination, and things are finally said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**Laura** woke up panting. She sat up quickly, leaning back against her pillow as she tried to catch her breath. Her forehead was damp, and she felt her clothing cling to her body. It was a summer night, but the air conditioning in her room kept the room cold, so she had no reason to be sweating.

 

She looked around the room slowly, taking in the fact that she was alone. She furrowed her brow in disappointment, pushing the sheets and blankets on her bed in one swift motion. She didn’t realize she was still panting till she tried to stop. Once she steadied her breathing, she increasingly became aware of the ache between her thighs. Her cheeks were flushed and her body felt like it was burning.

 

Her pajamas were damp at this point, and were more than uncomfortable, so she slowly peeled them off of her body. The clock on her bedside table read 3:21 AM, and she grumbled softly, knowing she had to be awake for work in a few hours. She lied on her back naked as she ran over the dream she was rudely awoken from.

 

Carmilla and Laura had been sitting together on her couch, inching closer and closer seemingly with every breath. The dark haired girl grinned, making the final push forward. Their lips touched and it was shortly after that they were kissing hungrily; hands roaming over clothing and breath panting out. Carmilla growled softly and bit down Laura’s bottom lip, tugging on it softly. Laura whimpered, too absorbed in the way Carmilla was making her insides tingle to care about how she sounded. She reached one hand up to tangle in the dark wavy hair sprawled over Carmilla’s back and let the other one slip down to cup her ass. God that ass had been teasing her all night.

 

Laura scooted closer, situating herself on top of carmilla’s lap, starting to rock her hips back and forth against Carm. They both moaned at the friction and the taller girl moved her hands to grip Laura’s hips tightly, assisting them as they rolled into her.

 

Laura rubbed her eyes, blinking herself back into the real world, in which she was alone her bed. It felt too real to have simply been a dream; she had been pressed tightly to Carmilla the whole time, and if she was quiet enough, she swore she could hear Carm’s growls. It didn’t help that earlier that night, the two of them had been on a date in which Carmilla didn’t stop making flirty touches the whole time.

 

They had gone out for drinks to the bar that they bumped into each other at a few weeks ago when it all started. Carmilla looked particularly delicious, wearing a black corset top and her signature leather pants. Laura drank a little bit more than she probably needed to, but the way that Carmilla smiled at her made her hands shake and the back of her neck bead up with sweat. Laura groaned, remembering the way that the taller girl had convinced her to go out on the dance floor and then proceeded to tease her with the way she was dancing.

 

If there was one thing Laura was good at, it was being in control of her body movements (She had all the yoga to thank for it). But no amount of skill or practice could’ve prepared her for what it was like to watch Carmilla dance. Her whole body seemed to respond to the music, letting her undulate and roll her body in ways that Laura had never really seen someone do before. The two danced close together, not close enough to be fully touching, but plenty close where their bodies would brush against each other.

 

By the time that they departed from the dance floor, the flush in Laura’s cheeks seemingly refused to go away. The way that the dark haired girl looked with bits of sweat along her hairline and disheveled hair should’ve been illegal. Laura had been turned on the whole time, but this was the icing on the cake. The flirting didn’t stop, and after a few more drinks they headed back towards Laura’s apartment in a taxi.

 

Upon saying goodnight, they got closer to kissing than they ever had before. They had gotten in the habit of hugging each other, but this one was a little different than usual. They had been on many more dates since their first, and they usually ended with a nice and short hug. But this hug was longer, warm bodies pressed against each other tightly and Laura had to use all her focus to not let her hands slip down from Carmilla’s waist to cup her ass.

 

Laura grumbled to herself, running a hand down her body and tentatively pausing between her legs. Her fingers were light and teasing, mimicking the things that she wish Carmilla was doing to her. Her whole body shivered in response and she gave in, finishing what she had started in her dream.

 

~~~

Laura was curled up on the couch in Carmilla’s apartment fast asleep. The broody girl felt herself smiling like an utter dork at the sight, despite the pounding headache she had from last night. The two of them went out on their eighth date, (not that Carmilla was counting), to celebrate a promotion that she had received at work. She worked for a photography company and was an illustrator on the side, so any increase in income was worth more than a celebration to her. Due to the celebration, both of them had far too much to drink, ending with Laura falling asleep on Carmilla’s couch and Carm desperate to join her.

 

She decided that she should stop watching, just incase Laura woke up, and wandered into her kitchen to make herself a cup of coffee. It was a Saturday morning, meaning neither of them had work, and Carm couldn’t help but hope that Laura didn’t have anywhere to be today. The thought of her being anywhere else but with Carmilla felt wrong. She knew she shouldn’t be so possessive of a girl she technically wasn’t even dating, but they were soul mates after all. Even though it had been at least two weeks since they met and no discussion of that had come up.

 

In fact, Carmilla wasn’t sure how to even talk about it in the first place. It’s a lot of pressure to put on someone, and there’s a lot of expectations with meeting your soulmate. She thought back to when Laf and Perry had started dating, and how hard they both worked to remain at the pace of a normal relationship. Carmilla wanted to do the same with Laura, but with how hard she’d been falling and how little patience she had, she knew it would be more than a challenge.

 

“Why’re you up?” A soft voice grumbled behind Carmilla as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and a face pressed into her back. She felt her face redden at least six shades at the contact, and felt herself smiling that stupid smile that only Laura could bring out of her.

 

“Making coffee, creampuff.” Carmilla replied softly, enjoying the warmth of the shorter girl’s body against her. Carmilla turned around to face Laura, whose grip on her waist didn’t lessen despite the wiggling to face each other. She looked up at Carmilla with hooded sleepy eyes and smiled before burying her face into Carmilla’s chest.

 

“’s too bright and too early for a Saturday, let’s go back to bed.” Laura mumbled against Carmilla before she could stop to think about what she had said. Sure Carm and Laura were cuddly, but they weren’t even dating, so asking to go back to bed wasn’t exactly something that happened. Though that isn’t something either of them would’ve minded.

 

Carmilla felt herself blush, grateful for the lack of those gorgeous eyes on her and the coffee machine finishing it’s job, so she could turn around and grab mugs. This time when she turned Laura did let go, but it was only so she could watch Carmilla stretch and see her shirt ride up in the back.

 

“I know it’s not your TARDIS mug, but I hope this will do for today.” The taller girl said softly, pouring the mugs full of coffee. She walked over to the fridge to grab half and half and then to the cupboard to grab the sugar. She watched Laura make her coffee, making a mental note of how she took it so next time she could do it herself.

 

Carmilla herself just put some sugar in, and spent extra time staring at Laura because of how cute she looked in her clothes. When they had both gotten back to Carmilla’s apartment the night before, Carm had given Laura some of her clothing to wear to bed. The feeling of having to tear herself away from the blonde girl so she could change bubbled up to the surface again. To distract herself, Carmilla took a sip of her coffee and stared at the floor.

 

When she looked up, she found a pair of eyes transfixed on her. Normally when Laura was caught staring she looked away and blushed, (Carmilla remembered because of how cute Laura looks while she blushes), but this time she kept looking. Laura had the blanket from the couch wrapped around her shoulders like a cape, a terrible case of bed head, and a grimace on her face from how bright the room was. But in that moment, Carmilla had never seen anyone so beautiful, and she cursed herself for the cheesiness of the whole thing.

 

They kept looking at each other until Laura put down her coffee mug, causing the taller girl to follow suit. Carmilla felt overwhelmed; she didn’t know if it was Laura in her clothes or how cute she looked in the morning light or the fact that she could see the mark on Laura’s neck, but something inside her clicked. She surged forward quickly, not giving herself any time to back down, and stood right in front of a slightly surprised Laura. The dark haired girl reached up a shaky hand to cup Laura’s cheek, watching as Laura blushed and smiled in response. Carmilla leaned in and before she knew it they were kissing.

 

They kissed gently and lazily, as though they had been kissing each other their whole lives. Laura relaxed into Carmilla’s body, wrapping her arms around the taller girl’s waist, purring softly against her lips as Carmilla laced her other hand in the girl’s honey brown hair. God Laura’s lips were even softer than Carmilla thought they would be; she tasted sweet from the copious amounts of sugar that was in Laura’s coffee, and only a little bit bitter.

 

The kiss didn’t last long as they both started to smile, causing them to pull apart and rest their foreheads against each other. It was short and innocent, but Carmilla could feel her heart hammering in her chest, demanding more.

 

“Took you long enough.” Laura mumbled sleepily, giving Carmilla a toothy grin. Carmilla feigned hurt and gently pushed Laura’s shoulder, but quickly moved back in to kiss her again and again and again.

 

The two of them would spend the day like that, wrapped up in each other's arms in a pile of blankets on Carmilla’s bed. Not many words were shared, but for every feeling unsaid there was a kiss that stated the emotions they couldn’t articulate. They were far too lazy to leave the apartment, so they simply ordered take out. As they sat together on Carmilla’s couch, looking stupidly in love while eating pizza, Laura felt something blossom inside her chest.

 

“I um, do you want to go out together? Like as girlfriends?” Laura blurted out before she could stop herself. Carmilla blinked slowly, in shock at the directness. Laura started to panic as she always did, and began to ramble. “I mean if you don’t it’s totally fine I just figured that since we had been seeing each other for a while we should probably make it official and not just be, like, you know, gal pals or friends who go on lots of dates together and are romantically and maybe sexually or something and technically you have my mate mark and I just hope this isn’t too much on-”

 

Laura never finished her sentence because a warm pair of lips met hers, shutting her up in the most effective way possible. When Carmilla pulled away she held her finger to Laura’s lips, insuring that she wouldn’t say anything.

 

“You know, ‘friends who go on lots of dates together and are romantically and maybe sexually’ doesn’t really have a nice ring to it. How about just girlfriends?” Carmilla said with her signature smirk. Laura’s eyes widened and she felt happiness bubble up inside of her, reaching out to wrap her arms around Carmilla. The taller girl returned the motion, pulling Laura in close to her and wrapping her arms around her waist, letting Laura nestle into her chest.

 

“Yeah, I think that sounds perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things got a little bit sexual, not much though yet, that's coming in the future. I hope you guys like it!!


	8. Riptide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our lovely new couple announces the news, and has their first real outing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the length of time in between updates, but this story really means a lot to me so I want to take a lot of care in writing it. Plus I'm aggressively stressed with school so it's been a little bit challenging to get the time to write. So they updates might be a little more spread out, but they'll be longer chapters. If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**After** leaving Carmilla’s house that night, Laura gushed to Danny over the phone in the cab ride home. She was loud and happy and boisterous with the news, not even caring how silly she sounded or the fact that the poor cab driver had to listen to everything she was saying. She made a mental note to tip them nicely for putting up with her.

 

“I didn’t think you two would ever get tired of the mutual pining, but at least it’s acceptable now and I can call you out on it.” Danny said with a snicker, causing Laura to scrunch up her nose, “But in all serious, I’m really happy for you. We both are.”

 

“Both?” Laura asked. She had assumed that she was only talking to Danny, and ended up spilling some things she didn’t exactly want other people to hear. Mostly falling along the lines of ‘oh God she’s so hot and good at kissing’.

 

“Oh yeah, Kirsch is here with me, I’ve had you on speaker the whole time. I guess I should’ve let you know that before you started blathering on about the more intimate details, but you didn’t seem to even be pausing to breathe, so there was no place to interrupt you.” Laura smacked her palm into her face, grumbling something about how she was gonna mount Danny’s head on a stick. Her anger dissipated as she heard Kirsch and Danny giggling in the background, softening at the adorable interaction.

 

“D-bear is right, we’re both super proud of you little nerd.” Kirsch said; his tone was gentle and loving, like a father who was proud of his child. It made Laura surprisingly emotional, finding herself to be incredibly grateful for the people in her life, and minding a little less all of the embarrassing things Kirsch had heard.

 

When Laura arrived back at her apartment, she practically broke down the door due to her over excitement as she tried to get inside. She fumbled with her keys, dropping them once or twice before finally getting them inside the lock, and dramatically flung the door open calling out loudly, “Honey, I’m home!”

 

She didn’t need to look for Mel, because all she got in response was a loud and grumbled, “Fuck you.”

 

Laura laughed, feeling her smile tugging at the corners of her cheeks; she hadn’t been this happy in ages, and she didn’t care who heard. The shorter girl bounded towards Mel’s room, barging in through the closed door. Mel was lying on her bed, headset on and controller in her hand. The game on the tv screen was paused and she looked up at the ball of energy staring down at her.

 

“What’s got you looking like ice cream and cookies were both on sale at the grocery store?” Mel said, clearly a bit peeved that she just had to pause her game. Mel was a serious gamer: she played online, was part of a team, and actually won money for winning things like tournaments and getting sponsorships. Sensing her frustration, Laura mumbled out an apology, “So glad you found time to care. Now what’s up?”

 

Laura sat down happily at the end of her bed as she blabbered out what had happened. She also explained why she had been gone for so long, and got more than one bit of suggestive eyebrow wiggling which she just blushed at. Mel was happy for her, but couldn’t help make a comment about having to become the fifth wheel.

 

~~~

“What took you so damn long?” Lafontaine shouted once Carmilla had broken the news, giving the girl a strong shove against her shoulder, earning themselves a set of dagger eyes from Perry. Carmilla flipped them off but grunted quietly as the shorter ginger quickly wrapped the broody girl into a tight hug, wiggling back and forth with excitement.

 

“I’m very pleased to hear that Carmilla, it was only a matter of time before you both truly acknowledged your feelings for one another.” Perry said, giving Carmilla a gentle hug once Lafontaine had released her from their grasp. The dark haired girl chuckled, hugging the two gingers. The two of them were almost like Carmilla’s adopted family, acting as the parental roles she lacked.

 

“You guys seem more excited about this than I am.” She said, reverting back to her more sarcastic and brooding self. She had spent a lot of time being all mush with her emotions while she shared the news, and felt a little bit too vulnerable. Parental figures or not, there were certain things that Carmilla just did not share. Plus, if she gave away all of her secrets, how could she keep her air of mystery?

 

“Of course we’re excited, we’ve had to hear you moan about all of your repressed squishy feelings for weeks, I’m sad this day didn’t come sooner.” Lafontaine said, making a pouting face as Carmilla reached out and messed up their hair- punishment for all of this teasing.

 

They stuck out their young and the dark haired girl flipped them off. While Lafontaine went to go make themselves look put together again, Perry moved closer to Carmilla and sat next to her on the couch in their apartment.

 

“We’re excited because we value your happiness. But, we also were going to ask if you wanted to come on a double date with us? You, Laura, Lafontaine and I.” Perry rambled off, giving Carmilla a gentle smile and resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Despite the genuine offer, the dark haired girl felt her mouth become dry, “Plus it would be a great chance for us to meet the little darling now that you two are officially together.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah that would be great actually. When would you like to?” Carmilla choked out, letting herself wander into her own thoughts as Lafontaine came back. The two gingers rattled on excitedly about the planning, but Carmilla wasn’t listening. It was only a double date, not sky diving, so why did she feel like her heart was quivering? What was there to be so apprehensive about? Seeking a distraction, Carmilla tugged her phone out of her pocket and looking down at the screen. Her background was a photo that she had snagged of Laura from that first time she had stayed over.

 

**Carmilla (5:38 PM):** Hey cupcake, how would you feel about going on a double date with Laf and Per? They really wanna get to know you.

**Cookie Monster (5:41 PM):** That sounds awesome! When do they want to do it?

**Carmilla (5:42 PM):** Idk, I wasn’t really paying attention. Doesn’t really sound like a fun time…

**Cookie Monster (5:42 PM):** Why’s that?

 

Carmilla started down at the phone in her hands, trying to answer the question that Laura had asked her. She looked up, catching one of the more rare and intimate moments between Lafontaine and Perry. Perry was fixing the collar of Laf’s shirt with intense attention to all the little details, causing her face to scrunch up in concentration. Lafontaine was looking at Perry like she put the stars up in the sky every night for them, and made the sun rise so beautifully and in a new way every day.

 

It wasn’t that they weren’t very romantic as a couple, they were just far more private in general, especially in terms of PDA. Carm wouldn’t have believed that they were dating if it weren’t for the fireworks that go off whenever they look at each other. It’s not that they were private because they weren’t proud to be together, it’s just that they valued the intimacy that being alone allowed them. The darker haired girl quickly looked back down to her phone, making sure that she wouldn’t ruin their moment, before quickly typing her response back.

 

**Carmilla (5:45 PM):** Maybe I don’t feel like sharing you right now.

 

~~~

 

Carmilla stood in front of the mirror, tugging at her blouse apprehensively. Music was flowing out of the bathroom where Laura was touching-up her makeup. She might’ve looked too damn good when the dark haired girl had opened her apartment door. That may or may not have led to a very needy make out session, which may have only been stopped by a text reminding Carmilla of their dinner reservation. Neither of them wanted to stop, but Laura was anxious to make a good first impression, so the broody lesbian let the tiny gay out of her grasp, but not before she claimed what was hers.

 

“God Carm, I look like I’m dating a leech or a vampire.” Laura’s voice was shrill with complaints, pulling Carmilla out of her thoughts and causing that signature smirk to tug at the corner of her lips.

 

She sauntered into the bathroom, regaining her waning confidence as she watched the shorter girl struggle with thick layers of concealer and cover up on her neck. Carmilla wrapped her arms around the fussing girl’s waist, leaning delicately against her back to feel the warmth of her body. Laura made a little happy noise at the contact, resting her head back against Carmilla’s shoulders.

 

“My hickeys are so good, you can’t tell the difference between me, and a vacuum.” The taller girl purred out in a silly voice. Laura gave her her signature ‘I’m so done with your shit stop being so damn cute’ look in the mirror.

 

Carmilla stayed there while Laura finished her make-up, happily staring with a lovestruck grin. Laura wished she could freeze this moment in time: The girl baring her soul mate mark holding her tightly, the soft light of the bathroom, the domestic mess of the counter, and the slight blush filling Laura’s cheeks. She reached over and grabbed her phone, quickly taking a photo of the moment before Carmilla could protest or move.

 

The timing was perfect as well, as a sleek black cat jumped up onto the counter, knocking over a hair brush with a loud clatter.

 

“God damn it Mattie, you gave me a heart attack.” Carmilla snarled out, releasing her grasp of the tiny girl to bend down and grab the brush that fell. Laura might’ve taken the chance to check out Carmilla, only to look back at the cat before she could be caught by her lover. Mattie recognized Laura from all the time that she spent at Carmilla’s apartment, and started padding delicately towards her on the counter. Laura reached her arms out, happily picking up the small black cat. She held Mattie in her arms, petting the soft fur gently and reveling in the purrs of contentment that the cat replied. Laura was always delighted when animals liked her, but having a cat like her was a special occasion, as they were far more selective when it came to their affections. She couldn’t help but fondly remember the second trip to Carmilla’s apartment, when Mattie came up to her and rubbed her face against Laura’s leg. The pride inside her had only increased due to Carmilla’s jealousy of apparent “favoritism”.

 

“You better watch out Mattie, next thing you know she’ll upgrade from stealing leather jackets to a cat burglar.” The dark haired girl said, giving the cat a gentle boop on the nose. Laura laughed, shaking her head while she put Mattie back on the ground. She looked down at her watch, biting her lip anxiously as she realized how they were going to be late if they didn’t leave soon.

 

“You and your little kitten are absolutely adorable, but we should get going because from what I’ve heard about Perry, being late won’t be a good start.” Carmilla just sighed and nodded, giving Laura a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving the bathroom. The shorter girl shook her head, a silent giggle playing across her lips as she looked up at the red lip print on her cheek. Her skin tone quickly followed suit, finding herself blushing with that classic smitten grin. At the last second, she decided to wipe the lipstick off, but only with the hope that she’d be getting another one.

 

~~~

 

Lafontaine and Perry were three pages deep into the menu when Carmilla and Laura arrived. There were babbled apologies and quick introductions, and Lafontaine knew they liked this girl already. She wasn’t as short as they had first pictured her. And despite Carmilla’s love-goggled embellishments, she had been truthful in describing Laura. What the brooding girl had failed to mention was how much of an absolute nerd Laura is.

 

“Seriously? You work at a lab? That is so cool!” She gushed to Lafontaine, the two of them talking about absolutely everything nerdy that exists under the sun. They almost felt badly for Carmilla and Perry, until a quick glance showed the absolutely smitten look on Carmilla’s face as she watched Laura babble on. 

 

While they were waiting for their food to arrive, Laura excused herself to go to the bathroom. As soon as she was gone, Lafontaine looked to Carmilla and pretended to crack a whip as she stared at Laura’s disappearing figure. Perry slapped their arm, but it was more than worth it to see the blush starting to appear on the brooding girls face.

 

“You guys are the worst. I mean the best, but the actual worst. Wait no, Perry, you’ve been lovely and engaging this entire dinner. Laf, you’re the worst.” Carmilla grumbled out, taking a sip of her wine as she tried to hide her embarrassment. She was whipped, and she knew everyone could see it.

 

“Well you might revoke your statement, but you really are whipped.” Perry replied, giving Carmilla a smirk, watching as the girl’s blush only darkened. She flipped them both the bird, letting her head flop down against the table with a thud. She grumbled out softly in pain, clearly regretting the decision.

 

“Seriously though, do you guys like her?” Carmilla asked, looking up quickly. Lafontaine and Perry weren’t expecting the genuine fear of acceptance that rested inside those deep brown eyes. Carmilla didn’t let her guard down often, and she certainly didn’t give a damn about what anyone else thought of her. But for the first time, she had no walls up; no armor crafted from snarky comments, no secret dagger made from deftly rude remarks.

 

The only other time Lafontaine could remember seeing Carmilla so vulnerable was when she told them that her parents had died, but even then she still had a trick or two up her sleeves in case things became too squishy for her. But right now, she was on full display for her two ginger friends, and it was all because of a tiny girl with honey brown hair and eyes that sparkled in the light.

 

“Carmilla, I think I can speak for the both of us in saying that we think she’s absolutely amazing.” Perry spoke first, taking the words out of Lafontaine’s mouth. They nodded in agreement and gave the most genuine smile they’ve ever had, reaching a hand across the table to give Carmilla’s arm a comforting squeeze. Carmilla seemed to glow at the response, like this was the only validation in life she ever needed.

 

“Hey guys, did I miss anything?” Laura remarked quietly as she sat back down in her chair, sensing the tense air of the table.

 

“Just my dazzling humor, cupcake.” Carmilla said with that signature smirk, and Lafontaine knew that she had gone back inside her little castle. But Lafontaine now also knew that Laura must mean the world to Carmilla, because locks have keys for a reason.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys like it and I have a surprise for the next chapter! Thank you so much for all the support <3


	9. Rock the Boat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun times, drinking games, and a devious little ginger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**In** a philosophy class Carmilla took as an elective, she remembered hearing someone say, “things are beautiful because you love them.” At the time, she wasn’t even sure that love itself was real. She spent far too much time in between the legs of other people, hearing them scream her name, and claiming things that weren’t hers, knowing that she would wind up alone in the end. It was simple, heart wrenching, but it fulfilled her need to be wanted and needed, even if only temporary.

 

But now, watching the girl with honey-brown hair and dazzling eyes throw her head back with laughter and a gentle blush on her cheeks, Carmilla knew what those people had been talking about.

 

_ ‘Wait love? Love? Get a hold of yourself ya floozy’. _ Carmilla thought to herself. She wasn’t in love; they had been dating officially for a little over a week so there wasn’t a chance, right? She pushed the thought out of her mind, deciding that it was best to save that discussion with herself for another time. So instead she sipped the last of her wine as Laura polished off the dessert the four of them had shared; there was no way that they were going to skip dessert when the menu had a molten lava cake.

 

“Well, the night is young, so what’s next on the agenda?” Carmilla said once the bill had been paid, looking around the table. They bounced ideas off each other, (laser tag was out of the question to Lafontaine’s dismay), and eventually decided that they should go back to someone’s place for drinks. Carmilla offered her apartment: it was close, she didn’t have any roommates, and her building was very casual about noise disturbances.

 

“Hey babe, you should invite your side of the equation, let everyone get acquainted.” The dark haired girl suggested, getting encouraging nods from the two gingers across from them. Laura blushed suddenly; Carmilla had never called her babe before, but she hoped that it was something she’d be hearing a lot more of. There were a lot of things that Carmilla hadn’t called her yet, but God she couldn’t wait to find out what those things were.

 

“Yeah! I’d love to I have a feeling you guys are gonna hit it off.” Laura said confidently, smiling that signature grin that made Carmilla’s insides feel melty.

 

The two couples decided to meet back up at Carmilla’s apartment, with the two gingers driving home and the others taking a cab (Perry insisted on not drinking, so she drove the ginger squad). Lafontaine had protested, uncertain as to why Laura and Carmilla were going to take a cab when Perry could just drive them all and how they would be saving the environment. But the taller of the two just laughed and tugged them away, understanding the desire for some alone time that they were hinting at. 

 

On the cab ride home the couple held hands with Laura curling up into Carmilla’s chest, leaning what must’ve been an uncomfortable distance across the empty middle seat to simply be closer. The darker haired girl could feel the soft breath of Laura leaning on her and the sweet smell of her shampoo and perfume was intoxicating. Sure Carmilla had a little bit to drink, but thousands of tequila shots couldn’t compare to the way being around Laura made her feel. One look from her, and the taller girl was more than tipsy. Despite the sheer intimacy of the moment, Carmilla could feel sparks flying off inside of her chest.

 

They arrived back before Lafontaine and Perry, and were able to do some last minute cleaning of the apartment. It wasn’t very large, by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the perfect amount of space for Carmilla; one bedroom, the living room, and the kitchen. Carmilla hurried into her room, shutting the door so Mattie couldn’t get out and get hurt: she loved that cat more than life, and there was no way she was letting any drunken accidents happen around her. Laura bustled around, making things look presentable with a level of comfort that made it look like she lived there, and the darker haired girl was setting out the impressive collection of alcohol she had on the kitchen table.

 

“Jeez Carm,” Laura said with a joking tone when she finally wandered into the kitchen, taking in all of the different sized colorful bottles that cluttered the tables, “do we need to have a talk about this?”

 

“Oh hush, cupcake.” Carmilla said, bending over to look inside her fridge for various containers of juice and citrus. She came up with a bottle of orange juice and some lemons and limes. “I worked as a bartender for a while, and once you get a taste for particular mixed drinks, you just start making them at home.”

 

“I didn’t know that about you. What’s your favorite drink to make?” Laura asked, walking over towards Carmilla. Feeling a rush of confidence, the shorter girl leaned in flirtatiously, knowing that the action was showing off her cleavage and allowed the taller girl to see down her shirt.

 

Carmilla turned around, giving Laura a cheeky smirk when she saw how close they were standing. Thinking she was in control, she decided to nice and slowly scan Laura over with her eyes, knowing it drove her crazy; but Laura was one step of her. Carmilla’s eyes started to travel south of that dazzling smile, she gulped when her eyes found what Laura had put on display. Carmilla was a smooth talking lady killer, the badass extraordinaire; but right now this tiny ball of fire was putting her in way over her head. The air between them became thick as she watched the shorter girl’s chest moving up and down with every breath she took. Any semblance of control she thought she had was gone, as she felt herself giving in to Laura’s lead.

 

“I, um-” A loud knock on the door saved Carmilla, breaking the moment between the two of them.  She watched Laura give her a smirk and then turn to get the door, exaggerating the swaying of her hips. Carmilla started to chew on her bottom lip to keep from saying anything obscene. Her mouth got dry as she gawked at the shorter girl, feeling heat start to pool in her stomach.

“Hey! you guys made it!” Laura called out gleefully, giving hugs to the entire group of them as they all walked in. Danny, Kirsch, and Mel had bumped into Lafontaine and Perry on their way up in the elevator, and apparently were already starting to enjoy each other's company. An air of excitement and promise flowed in the door with the new bodies, as well as new adventures to come. Carmilla took a deep breath, pouring herself a shot of tequila and knocking it back before leaving the kitchen to join the fun.

 

~~~

 

“Guys guys guys,” Kirsch said, his arm tightly wrapped around Danny’s waist, keeping her tucked into his side. They were both rosy cheeked and a little bit wobbly, as was everyone else in Carmilla’s apartment. At some point someone had turned on music, letting the room be washed out by melodies, bass lines, and the string lights that Carmilla had scattered around her living room.

 

No was drunk by any stretch of the imagination; the drinking had been majority casual with some scattered drinking games. Since the beginning of the night, the entire group had hit it off. Carmilla didn’t expect to enjoy Kirsch and Danny’s company, especially due to their oddly tense history. But they all started to get along well, and despite herself, Carmilla was starting to like the ginger giant and the overgrown man puppy. At some point Laura came over to sit on Carmilla’s lap, burying her face in Carmilla’s neck, as the taller girl gently stroked her hair. Lafontaine, Mel, and Perry were playing a terrible game of beer pong in which despite being a team of one, Mel was kicking their asses. They all stopped to look at the towering couple, “We should play truth or dare.”

 

“Ugh truth or dare? What are we, twelve?” Mel grumbled, turning back to her game and sinking another ping pong ball inside her opponent's cups. Lafontaine growled at Mel’s celebratory dance as they drank the cup, when their eyes suddenly lighted up with an idea.

 

“Wait, what if we do spin the truth or dare?” Lafontaine exclaimed, earning them confused looks from the rest of the group.

 

“So, we’ve graduated from sixth grade and have moved all the way up to seventh.” Carmilla grumbled softly, a little disillusioned with the idea. She had no particularly fond memories of those years, and anything with their likeness was not fun in her book.

 

Feeling the need to explain, Lafontaine continued, “So basically a person picks truth or dare, spins the bottle, and whoever it lands on creates their dare or truth.”

 

“Oh shit, that actually sounds awesome.” Danny said, jogging off to the kitchen to grab one of the empty beer bottles and made her way back to the living room. Despite having had a little to drink, she was still just as physically gifted as usual, and just as much of a leader.

She sat down on the floor and beckoned for the others to join her in a circle. Mel and Lafontaine quickly followed suit, eager to try out this new game, and wherever the shorter ginger Perry was never far behind from them. Kirsch flopped down next to Danny, giving her a sloppy kiss on the cheek. Even Carmilla got Laura off her lap, but it did take some encouragement in the form of subtle teasing, leaving the shorter girl with a dark blush on her cheeks when she sat down.

 

“Alright, since I created the game I’ll go first. I pick dare.” Lafontaine said confidently, reaching out and spinning the bottle. It whirled around quickly and eventually slowed, pointing at Danny. They cringed, wondering if they should’ve picked truth instead.

 

“Lafontaine, I dare you to switch shirt’s with Kirsch for the rest of the game.” The amazonian girl said with a smirk, knowing that they both would look hysterical in the incorrectly sized clothing.

 

Kirsch had already tugged his shirt off, probably a bit eager to show off his body as usual. Lafontaine looked around at everyone and lastly Perry, making sure to get her gentle nod of approval. They stood up, unbuttoning their shirt and tossing it at the giant puppy across from them, laughing when an oversized jersey hit them back in the face. The whole group was in stitches at the sight: the jersey was easily a dress on Lafontaine and Kirsch could only button theirs enough so that he essentially was wearing a crop top.

 

“Alright Danny, your turn. Truth or dare?” Lafontaine said, proud of how well their creation was turning out already. They looked over to Carmilla on their left, noticing the closeness of her and Laura. They weren’t normally one to pry, but they knew Carm very well, and holding back wasn’t something that she did very well. So why now when Laura seemed to be clearly interested would she continue to do so?

 

“Truth.” Danny said confidently, grabbing the bottle and spinning it. When it stopped it pointed at Carmilla, earning a chuckle from both of them, “Alright mistress of the snark, what have you got for me?”

 

Carmilla thought for a moment, her question ideas ranging from embarrassing to some things she didn’t actually want to know the answer to, till she found something she actually was curious about. “So when we met for the first time, were you actually going to snap me like a twig for stepping on Laura’s sand castle?”

 

The whole group laughed, both at the fact that a destroyed sandcastle is what had brought them all together, and at the fact that given the chance to find out whatever intimate thing about someone, that was what Carmilla chose.

 

“Well if you must know, I would’ve been much more harsh if had hadn’t been for the heart eyes little miss Laura was shooting you.” Danny said with a laugh, loving the blush that she saw on Laura’s cheeks. Carmilla chuckled, a little nervous from the response, but took a sip of her drink to calm herself, “Truth or dare?”

 

“I’ll do truth.” Carmilla said, finishing off the last of her drink with a wince before spinning the bottle. It landed on Mel and Carmilla felt her confidence return; Mel was sarcastic and a little bit broody, (just like her), so she didn’t feel challenged.

 

“Alright. This is a little boring, but can you speak any other languages?” Mel asked. The question seemed innocent to Carmilla as she began to think over the languages she knew, all while Mel knew exactly what she was doing to Laura.

 

“Je parle français, comme je l'ai appris à l'école et mes parents ont insisté pour que j'étais compétent dans plus d'une langue.” Carmilla purred out in flawless french, everything from her inflections to accents were exactly on point.

 

Laura’s eyes went wide as she stared at the darker haired girl next to her, her stomach doing backflips. People speaking french was one thing that never failed to turn her on, and Carmilla speaking it was no exception. It was almost more effective as the entire group screamed in response, begging her to speak more. “D’accord, d’accord, vous permet de passer à la prochaine personne.”

 

“I’ll do a dare.” Mel said confidently. The next few rounds of the game continued on, but Laura wasn’t paying attention. She was transfixed on the dark haired girl next to her, watching as those deep red lips moved with every word she spoke. The heat inside her was becoming unbearable as all of the teasing from their relationship was starting to bubble up inside her. She was good at controlling her feelings and hormones, but the sexual frustration had been building up for over a month. She was good, but not that good. Internally she tried to fabricate a plan or reason to get Carmilla all to herself.

 

“Earth to Hollis, it’s your turn. Since the bottle has somehow managed to miss you every damn time, I’ve decided to pick you to go next.” Perry said, interrupting the elaborate plots inside of Laura’s head. She shook her head slightly and looked around the circle of people in front of her, wondering how much time had gone by since she was paying attention. Kirsch and Lafontaine were still wearing each other’s shirt, but for some reason Mel wasn’t wearing pants and Danny had close pins on her ears. Carmilla had remained unscathed, but Perry wasn’t, as she seemed to be wearing the pair of pants that Mel had taken off on top of her own. What was it with this group and clothes?

 

“Um, I’ll take a dare.” Laura said, her confidence wavering the moment she had made her decision. She took her bottom lip in between her teeth, gnawing on it nervous, (it was one habit she just couldn’t kick), before spinning the bottle. She became entranced, watching it spin round and round till it stopped pointing at Lafontaine. The ginger grinned a mischievous smirk, making it more than clear that they had been waiting for this moment the whole game.

 

“Alright frosh,” Lafontaine said, using the nickname she had created while they were out to dinner after discovering that Laura was younger, “I dare you to give Carmilla a lap dance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooooooooooooooooooh things are gonna happen. Let me know what you think!


	10. Aye aye, Captain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If you want to get in the mood, I highly recommend listening to Skin by Rihanna because that's what inspired me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

“ **Here,** I know the perfect song that you can use for this.” Lafontaine said with a smirk. They walked over to where the speaker had been playing ambient music to connect their phone instead. The silence that fell over the room made Carmilla tense up inside, but still mustered her courage to go sit down. The table that was once acting as the center of the room had been moved, and instead one of Carmilla’s kitchen chairs had replaced it. The owner of the chair sat on it awkwardly, anxious for what was about to come, but unable to deny the excitement that was tingling in her fingertips. The entire group had insisted on being present, wanting to be certain of the ‘authenticity’ of said lap dance, as if them being in private would mean that they wouldn’t do it. Carmilla couldn’t help but think they were just far too drunk to process what they were actually going to be watching.

 

“God Laf, I don’t even want to think about why you have the perfect song for this.” Carmilla grumbled, earning a laugh from the group as she tried to push away the mental image that was starting to form in her brain. She didn’t want to think about anything else but Laura, who was currently in her room. She apparently was not wearing the right pants for this, and was going to just borrow something of Carmilla’s to change i to.

 

The shorter girl peeked out from behind the door to the bedroom, worry and adrenaline flooding her system as she felt herself fully open the door and step out into view. Laura looked nervously at the dark haired girl in the chair, making sure she avoided anyone else eyes in the room. The fire that had been sparked at the beginning of the night was now burning harshly in her belly, and there was no way to ignore it when she saw the way Carmilla was dragging her eyes up and down Laura’s body. It certainly wasn’t helping, but she couldn’t help feel more confident.

 

“Damn little nerd, you clean up well.” Kirsch shouted, giving Laura a cheeky whistle before earning himself a slap on the chest from Danny.

 

She had changed from the jeans and nice top she wore to dinner into a pair of short shorts, a skin tight tank top, and a snapback she found in Carmilla’s room. It was unlike anything she normally wore, but she couldn’t help but feel sexy under everyone gaze. It was a new feeling for her, to be the center of attention like this, and she couldn’t help but find herself liking it.

 

“Alright frosh, show us what you got.” Lafontaine said, turning on the music. Laura couldn’t help the grin that sprung to her face, instantly recognizing the bass line that was blasting from the speaker. The familiarity spurred her confidence, and she did her best to strut over to the gawking girl in the chair. The rest of the group huddled around, cheering loudly as if they were watching a sporting event, but all Laura could hear was the music.

 

She placed her hands on Carmilla’s knees, using her hands to spread her legs open before leaning in close to her and giving her a cocky grin. The darker haired girl just gave a smirk back as a challenge, spurring on Laura’s competitive nature as she leaned back and quickly pushed Carmilla’s legs back together. She walked forward, straddling her before slowly sitting down and rocking her hips once slowly. Carmilla’s hands instantly flew to grip Laura’s hips, but the shorter girl removed them slowly, placing them down by Carmilla’s side. She was too turned on to want to tease, but she couldn’t help but love the blown out look that had taken over Carmilla’s eyes.

 

Laura placed her hands on Carmilla’s shoulders for extra support as she gyrated her hips in time to the music, making sure she was going as painstaking slow as she possibly could. She let one of her hands run down Carmilla’s body and then back up her own, slowly flipping the brim of her hat to the back. She was close enough to hear the increase in Carmilla’s breathing and the soft curses that were leaving her lips.

 

Carmilla watched Laura get off her lap and sink down to her knees in front of the chair. Carmilla had imagined being in this position so many times before this, but she hadn’t exactly pictured the rest of her friends would be around cheering on the girl that was driving her crazy. Laura placed her hands on Carmilla’s thighs, gripping them tightly and quickly pulling her closer so that Carmilla was sitting on the front of the chair. She pushed her legs wide open, moving forward slightly to wedge herself between Carmilla’s knees. Laura proceeded to roll her body up towards the darker haired girl, eventually standing up and turning around and slowly sitting herself down. The feeling of Laura’s ass pressing against her crotch was too much, and Carmilla finally gave into her animalistic desires to have her hands all over the shorter girl. Her hands flew to her hips, using her own force to help guide Laura as she ground down against Carmilla and keep her tightly pressed to her. Carmilla growled loudly, leaning her body forward to bury her face in the shorter girl’s neck and began to place open mouth kisses; she was far too focused on how good Laura was making her feel to even remember the other people in the room, and she couldn’t have been bothered to care.

 

Laura, on the other hand, was acutely aware of everyone else in the room. But instead of making her anxious like it had earlier, the attention now only spurred her on, pushing herself to be dirtier and sexier as the girl beneath her body slowly came undone. She had an unwavering desire to show Carmilla how badly she wanted her, and part of that desire meant she didn’t care who saw. She felt herself slipping in a way she never had before, biting her lip, making little moans, going more than the extra mile for her girlfriend.

 

By the time the song was finished, both of their faces were flush and Laura had beads of sweat starting to drip down the side of her face. To finish, she took her hat off and placed it on top of Carmilla’s wavy hair, and strutted her way off. The silence at the end of the song didn’t last long as her entire group of friends cheered louder than she thought was even possible. They all looked fairly flustered themselves, and Laura couldn’t really blame them; she had given quite the performance. The worst off was the dark haired girl still sitting in the chair; Carmilla hadn’t moved an inch, her heart pounding like a race horse and her body aching in a way she had never experienced before. She was unabashedly panting, because there was no reason to hide how far gone she was- the whole group had just watched it happen. The smirk on Laura’s face just got deeper and cockier as she watched Carmilla let out a deep breath before standing up on wobbly legs. Lafontaine was quickly to her side, giving them more than hell for being so easy. But Carmilla couldn’t even protest or listen, all she could do was make her way over towards the gloating girl that wouldn’t stop staring at her.

 

“Well cupcake,” Carmilla purred out, her voice thick and husky. She reached out, placing her hands firmly on Laura’s hips before tugging her in close, “I didn’t know you were so good with your hips.”

 

“Mmhmm.” Laura mumbled out softly, her confidence disappearing from having Carmilla so close to her. That confidence had come from being the one completely in control, but the closer Carmilla got the more control Laura happily surrendered. She would’ve surrendered whatever the darker haired girl wanted as long as she kept looking at her like that, “If you think I’m good with my hips, you’ll have to let me show you how good I am with my lips.”

 

“Oh? Is that so?” Carmilla purred with a chuckle, pulling her closer and leaning in to nip and kiss the side of Laura’s neck. The moans that the shorter girl relinquished sent bolts of arousal down Carmilla’s spine, causing her to growl softly before biting Laura’s neck firmly and pulling away.

 

“Earth to vampire bait and Elvira,” A voice boomed, causing Carmilla to turn around slightly irritated. The voice came from Danny, who had an overly eager Kirsch standing behind her pressing his face into her shoulder, “We should probably get going, it’s really late and I don’t want him drinking any more.”

 

The need to be a responsible host washed over Carmilla, quickly snapping her out of her trance. She opened her mouth to speak but Danny raised her hand quickly, stopping her before she even started, “Yes, I already called everyone a cab.”

 

Carmilla nodded thankfully and quickly walked around giving everyone hugs and thanking them for coming, and Laura followed suit. The apartment emptied as quickly as it had filled, leaving the two girls alone in a silence only broken by the sound of their breathing. Laura looked up at Carmilla, her eyes wandering up and down the girl’s body as she so desperately wanted to take off all of the clothing that was hiding it from her. She reached her hands out and grabbed Carmilla’s waist, tugging her closer till they were pressed tightly together. She immediately starting kissing her, their lips harshly pressed together. There was no need or want for gentleness, as tongues clashed and Carmilla bit and tugged on Laura’s bottom lip. Hands relinquished responsibility for their actions as they slipped under shirts and inside the back pockets of pants, using the moans and growls the tumbled off each others lips as all the permission needed. Carmilla’s head was so clouded with lust that she couldn’t even remember when they had stumbled back into her room and ended up on the bed. The carnal look in Laura’s eyes when both of their tops were discarded was something that Carmilla wanted to have forever burned into her mind. But as her hand reached behind to unclasp Laura’s bra, something inside her clicked, causing her to pull away her hand and stop.

 

Laura looked up at Carmilla with questioning eyes, but stopped the movement of her body. The darker haired girl took a deep breath and looked down at the girl below her. Laura’s hair was a mess, her tank top was somewhere on the floor, her lips were red and slightly swollen from being bitten and kissed so fiercely, and her shorts had been pushed down enough to let the top of her hip bones peak out. She looked so utterly stunning that Carmilla wanted to take a photograph because this is an image she wanted to last longer than her own memory would allow.

 

“I want you.” Carmilla said softly in between panting breaths, but her voice was no longer dripping with lust. It was more gentle, almost uncertain in its tone, as if that simple statement meant far more than just the burning need to take Laura. And to Carmilla, it did mean more than just the fact that she wanted so desperately to fuck her. Because of that, she had to stop. “But I want this to wait.”

 

Carmilla had closed her eyes as soon as she said it, overwhelmed with anxiety because of her uncertainty of Laura’s response. Before they met, Carmilla could take a girl and bed her within the same night of meeting her. It was a skill she used to pride herself on, and get quite a few snarky comments from the ginger twins. But Laura wasn’t just some girl, Laura was her soul mate. Sure they had already been waiting for a while, and while she wasn’t sure she’d be able to wait much longer, she knew that tonight wasn’t the night for this.

 

She felt a pair of soft finger tips running up and down her forearms which prompted her to cautiously open her eyes. Below her, Laura radiated love and understanding, almost as if she knew what Carmilla had been going through in her head. The darker haired girl leaned down giving Laura a deep and slow kiss that she hoped would be able to say the emotions she couldn’t articulate. The kiss only stopped when the two of them started to smile, resolving to just rest their foreheads against each other and be comfortably together. 

 

Carmilla climbed off Laura to go grab pajamas for the both of them to change into, knowing that if they didn’t sleep soon they’d have massive hangovers, and Laura just sat up in Carmilla’s bed watching her move. It was a simple action, getting changed into pajamas, but Laura could feel something settling inside her chest. It was domestic and sweet and caring, and when Carmilla turned around to see Laura staring, her heart softened as she smiled. Laura quickly changed into the pajamas that were handed to her and the two of them slipped under the covers, with Carmilla wrapping her arm around the shorter girl’s waist. The two of them lay there in happy silence, beginning to drift off to sleep.

 

“Hey Carm?” Laura whispered, breaking the silence.

 

“Yeah?” Carmilla mumbled, her lips pressed into Laura’s neck and the warmth of her body radiated into Laura’s back.

 

“I,” The shorter girl opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the right words. There were so many feelings and things she wanted to say, but none of them would become eloquent phrases or truly represent how she felt. Those three words loomed over her head, but she couldn’t make herself say them just quite yet. But instead, she figured out a way to say them without saying it at all. She smiled to herself as she whispered back, “you know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So I hope you guys liked it, I wanted to give in a little to what I really wanted to write while still saving some things for later. If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!


	11. Land Ho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment you've all been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**There** were times when Carmilla stared in awe at her girlfriend, watching every muscle in her face move as passionate words tumbled off her lips. She would gawk and ogle till her eyes were tired and sore from straining. Only then would she blink and allow her eyes to rest and refresh the view in front of her. She never kept them closed for long, as she didn’t want to miss a single instance of being in Laura’s presence. She spent all that time thinking about the shorter girl, seconds used pondering every little thing she admired and adored. From the twinkle in her eye while she ranted about  _ Doctor Who  _ or her feminist ramblings, to the way her face scrunched up when she was annoyed. She was beginning to memorize everything about Laura, she couldn’t help but do so. From the way her fingertips curled when she brushed her hair behind her ear, to the way she couldn’t stand her shoe laces to be uneven. Carmilla was utterly smitten with absolutely everything and anything Laura.

 

However, this was not one of those times.

 

“This is the worst movie I’ve ever seen, and you made me watch  _ The Notebook _ .” Carmilla whined loudly, smothering her face in the pillow that sat in her lap. The two of them were having a lazy Saturday at home, which consisted of movie marathons and tangled limbs. And despite her annoyance, Carmilla couldn’t help but still be in awe of how Laura looked with the sunlight streaming in. No one should be allowed to be that stunning.

 

“Excuse you, this is a classic movie about romance. Have you no heart?” Laura retorted, and the darker haired girl let her head shoot up with an annoyed face from the pillow.

 

“It’s the  _ Titanic _ ! The movie doesn’t even have a plot because we all know what happens in the end.” She exclaimed, grabbing the pillow to whack Laura with it. The shorter girl feigned hurt, smacking her hand to her chest. Carmilla stuck out her tongue. “Not even seeing that actress naked for the drawing scene made this movie worth it.”

 

“First off, her name is Kate Winslet, and second, you’re the worst.” Laura said, returning the blow to Carmilla through her favorite yellow pillow to the face. Carmilla grunted at the initial contact, but just giggled (a habit she picked up from spending time around Laura, and something she would never admit to doing).

 

“Naked drawings aren’t foreign to me cupcake, I went to art school, remember? Spent lots of time drawing people in the nude.” The dark-haired girl said, reaching over to tickle Laura. She squeaked out and erupted with laughter, and Carmilla wanted to hear that melodious sound for the rest of her days. Once Carmilla finally tickled Laura into submission, the two of them just stared at each other while catching their breath. Laura had a peculiar look in her eyes, one that Carmilla had never seen before: it was shy and intimate, but there was longing and an undeniable passion underneath.

 

“I uh,” Laura started, a blush creeping up to her cheeks the moment her lips parted, “When was the last time you had a model to draw?”

 

Carmilla furrowed her brow, thinking back to her time in college. She was overwhelmed with memories ranging through every emotion, taking time to think back to the particularly happy ones. Had it really been five years since she was a senior and she graduated? God she felt old, “It’s probably been since uni, so five years really. I sometimes practice from online references and I draw every day for a living, but not with naked-”

 

“Would you draw me?” Laura blurted out, interrupting the dark haired girl and earning a grin from her. “I know every artist hates getting asked that but I just figured that you would want to or that you could cause of the movie and-”

 

Carmilla cut her off with a series of chaste kisses to her lips that only stopped when Laura started to giggle. She pulled away, looking at the rosy cheeked girl who was staring back at her with wide eyes. “I’ll happily do it, let me get my materials set up.”

 

Carmilla sat on her desk chair fiddling with her set up. She had turned her desk around so that she would be facing where Laura was going to be and had raised her seat to give herself a better view. She had a side table that held her materials, tissues, erasers, and whatever else she might need. She had connected her phone to her speaker and let it softly play music, helping her distract herself from the sound of her leg bouncing up and down anxiously. She had gone over her mental checklist at least three times already, but nothing could calm down the nerves that made her hands shake. She was going to draw Laura. Naked. No amount of practice could’ve ever prepared her for this.

 

“Um, is it okay for me to come out?” Laura’s voice said so softly it was almost a whisper. Carmilla looked up to see her head peeking out from behind the bathroom door, hair put back in a messy bun. Carmilla fought the frog that wanted to crawl up into her throat, but she still didn’t trust her own voice, so she simply nodded. The door opened slowly, revealing Laura wrapped up in a sheet with a shy smile on her lips. She walked out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, making sure to adjust so she wouldn’t be sitting on her sheet. She stilled, just staring at Carmilla expectantly.

 

“Um cutie, you know you kind of have to take off the towel.” The dark haired girl managed out, impressed by the steadiness of her own voice.

 

“Oh oops! My bad.” Laura said with an anxious chuckle, her cheeks flushing as she slowly pushed the sheet off her body. She instantly curled into herself out of sheer self consciousness, wanting to hide her body from view. But when Laura looked up to meet Carmilla’s demanding eyes, she felt her fear start to slowly melt away. Carmilla’s eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly agape, completely blown away by the sight in front of her. She let her eyes wander everywhere; taking in the ripple of Laura’s muscle’s under her skin when she shifted, allowing herself to study the creases and curves and angles of her body. Carmilla had had her arm raised with a piece of vine charcoal in her hands, poised to start her drawing, but found herself completely frozen. “Uh cutie, you know you kind of have to put the charcoal to paper to draw.”

 

“Oh ha ha, very funny.” Carmilla replied, blinking slowly as if she was trying to figure out if this was just a dream. Once she was satisfied that it wasn’t, she looked up at Laura again with her signature smile, “Get comfy cutie, and then don’t move.”

Laura leaned back on the bed and shifted so she was on her side facing the dark haired girl and proceeded to get comfortable. Before fully settling down, she tugged the elastic out of her hair and let it fall down over her shoulders. Carmilla took a deep breath, exhaled, and started to work. Laura studied the artists while she herself was being studied, watching the manner in which Carmilla created. She was all loose and broad strokes, and there was an element of freedom to her movements that seemed out of place with the black tank top she was wearing and the picture perfect bun on the top of her head. But as she worked, that bun loosened, and little bits of that raven colored wavy hair began to fall down. Carmilla was in her own other world while she worked, allowing Laura the freedom to stare as she liked. She took in the expressiveness of her face as she worked, the smudges of charcoal on her cheek, and the way nibbled on her lip when she was uncertain. The shorter girl was so lost in watching her lover that she herself slipped into another world, one where time didn’t exist and it was just the two of them. She was so comfortable she had completely forgotten her past worries, and almost had forgotten she was naked. Almost, because the hungry glint in the back of Carmilla’s eyes hadn’t gone away since she stepped out of the bathroom.

 

“I think I finally finished.” Carmilla said softly, pulling Laura out of her trance. In that instant, Laura felt all of the lactic acid that had built up from being in the same position and eagerly collapsed onto her back. She groaned happily, stretching her body out and wrapping herself back up in the sheet. She wasn’t feeling self conscious anymore, just cold. Carmilla just chuckled and watched Laura, before walking into the bathroom to clean up her hands and face. During her absence, curiosity overtook Laura and she got off the bed to walk over towards the desk. She looked down at the piece of paper laid out on it and she gasped.

 

She didn’t recognize the girl staring back at her. There were sculpted lines and shadows, highlights and midtones, the creation on the paper was utterly a work of art. The closer Laura looked, the more she started to recognize herself in the drawing. She found her stretch marks, the scar on her knee from falling off her bike as a kid, the crinkles around her eyes when she smiled. While she knew that Carmilla had just spent so much time and effort into capturing her likeness, she couldn’t believe that this was what she looked like in the dark haired girl’s eyes.

 

“I hope you like it.” Carmilla whispered softly, wrapping her arms around Laura’s waist. She was so enthralled in looking at the drawing she hadn’t even noticed Carmilla reappearing into the room.

 

“Carm, this is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.” Laura said, turning around in Carmilla’s strong grip to look her in the eyes. The smile on her face was so deep she felt her cheeks starting to ache. The taller girl blushed and opened her mouth to contest, but Laura quickly placed a finger on her lips, “Is this really how you see me?”

 

Her voice was soft and meaningful, her words each carefully weighed on her tongue. Carmilla’s eyes widened as she felt herself swell up with emotions.

 

“This is how I see you, this is how the world sees you. There is nothing more beautiful and vulnerable than you when you are relaxed and happy. You’re always so utterly stunning but my God when you’ve let your guard down and have nothing hidden there is a radiance that shines out of you. You’re like looking at the sun, and I’ve never so happily been blind before.” Carmilla said confidently. All of the feelings and emotions that had been bundled up inside her since meeting Laura were coming out, all thanks to a simple charcoal drawing and a shitty movie.

 

Instead of responding, Laura leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to Carmilla’s lips. The taller girl wrapped her arms around her tighter, deepening the kiss with all of the passion and love that was pulsing through her body for Laura. The kiss stayed gentle for a little while, but there was only so long Carmilla could control herself when her goddess of a girlfriend was wearing a sheet and nothing else. She slipped her hands under the sheet, causing Laura to gasp softly but just kiss her harder.

 

Gentleness was forgotten as the sheet dropped to the floor in a pile and one of Carmilla’s hands ran down Laura’s back to rest firmly on her ass, squeezing it harshly. The shorter girl moaned into her mouth, spurring on Carmilla to take advantage and start to use her tongue. They kissed hungrily, Laura’s hands quickly flew up to tangle in Carmilla’s hair, tugging it out of the bun it had been in and letting it cascade down the taller girl’s back. Carmilla bit down on Laura’s bottom lip, reveling in the needy whines that followed as she tugged on it. Laura slipped her hands up the back of Carmilla’s tank top and Carmilla stopped quickly to just simply tug it off over her head. The two of them started kissing again as they wobbled back onto the bed, the taller girl straddling her whiny lover.

 

“You are wearing far too much clothing.” Laura huffed out between breaths, watching as Carmilla’s chest heaved up and down in time with hers.

 

“Why don’t you fix that for me, princess.” Carmilla purred out, getting off of Laura and moving herself up on to the bed. If Laura’s insides weren’t already a puddle, they were now as she clambered over to where the taller girl was waiting. Her fingers were shaky but with some effort she slowly tugged off the sweatpants that had been covering Carmilla’s legs. God she loved those legs, she loved everything about Carmilla’s body. She kissed her way back up the taller girl’s thighs, making sure to slow down whenever she heard Carmilla moaning above her. She marked her territory, leaving dark hickeys all along the girl’s pale thighs. She moved up farther, leaving a trail all the way back up to Carmilla’s neck before reaching behind her and unhooking her bra, tossing it off the bed. Laura growled softly and tugged off Carmilla’s panties in one fluid motion, watching as her eyes glossed over.

 

“God fucking damn it you are utterly delectable.” Laura growled out, her voice thick with lust. Carmilla just whimpered out in response as Laura surged forward, kissing down to her breasts before starting to tease her right nipple. Carmilla hissed out at the contact, her head thrown back in pleasure as she let moans slip out of her mouth. She normally would’ve cared that she probably sounded dumb, but the way Laura was using her tongue and teeth had her brain too cloudy to care. The shorter girl released her breast with a loud pop, quickly shifting over to the left side, lapping and sucking sloppily.

 

“Fuck Laura please.” Carmilla whimpered, her eyes blown out with lust. Laura groaned at hearing her lover beg for her, taking her mouth off the whining girl’s breast to give her a cocky look.

 

“What do you want kitty? Beg me.” Laura growled out, letting herself take dominance over the situation and Carmilla. The dark haired girl just moaned, clearly enjoying the fact that her girlfriend had taken control.

 

“Please princess please fuck me.” Carmilla slurred out, her mind clouded by lust and the need to relieve the ache between her legs.

 

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” Laura said with a cocky grin, slipping down between Carmilla’s thighs.

 

She hiked the girl’s thighs over her shoulders and dove in, lapping hungrily at the wetness. Laura moaned at the taste, too turned on to tease her or make Carmilla wait any longer. Truth be told, Laura needed this just as badly as Carmilla did. She worked a steady rhythm with her tongue, using broad flat strokes and more pointed touches to make the dark haired girl come undone underneath her. She sucked at the folds and let her tongue trace over and flick Carmilla’s clit, basking in the delicious moans and curses spewing from her lips. The girl’s pale thighs began to twitch around Laura’s head, and the hands that had once been grabbing fists of the bed cover were now tangled in Laura’s hair, keeping her pressed flush to her body. She kept going until her jaw started to ache, but she didn’t stop, and instead gently pushed one finger inside Carmilla. The taller girl screamed out her lover's name, moaning loudly as Laura continued to use her tongue and finger to bring Carmilla closer to her climax.

 

“Fuck babe please, don’t stop.” Carmilla panted out, her voice weak and cracking. The arousal she felt was mind numbing, spreading from her core to her fingertips. Laura was working magic with her tongue and hands, and there was no way Carmilla could last much longer. Carmilla moaned even louder as a second finger entered into her, fucking her with a steady rhythm as Laura moved back up her body to suck on her breasts again.

 

“F-fuh, L-Laura!” Carmilla gasped, her body twitching and pleasure washing over her as her hips bucked and she let go. Everything became fuzzy around the edges and Carmilla just let herself slip away. She felt like she was floating, somewhere high above the clouds where everything was just soft. Eventually she started to come back to herself and her eyes blinked open slowly.

 

“Hey, you’re back. I’m right here I’ve got you.” Laura was there looking down at her, her chin and lips still glossy with Carmilla’s own slick. A rush of heat went straight down to Carmilla’s core, and she felt herself moaning softly in response. She went to move her arms to tug Laura down for a kiss, but found herself a little too weak to do so.

 

“Please.” She whimpered out, her voice cracked and soft. She looked up into Laura’s eyes, “let me make you feel good.”

 

Laura’s eyes widened and she leaned down to hungrily kiss Carmilla, who was becoming increasingly more in control over her body. The taller girl broke the kiss slid farther down on the bed, beaconing Laura to come over. The shorter girl got the hint, shuffling over to Carmilla and straddling her face. Carmilla started to tease Laura, peppering and marking her inner thighs with kisses and love bites. There was something so sinful about claiming a place that no one else would see, and Carmilla loved it.

 

“Carm please, just eat me.” Laura whined out when the teasing had grown too intense, her own need for release becoming unbearable. Carmilla smirked and reached her hands up to grab Laura’s thighs, pulling her down while letting her mouth go to work.

 

Laura felt like she was going to burst. No; she felt like she was going to die as Carmilla ate her like she was her last meal. Laura had her hands in the taller girl’s dark hair, tugging and shouting obscenities as her hips bucked and ground down onto Carmilla’s hungry mouth. When Laura came, she gasped and sputtered and screamed, slumping over her very triumphant girlfriend, who was certain that everyone in a three mile radius now knew her name. Laura got off of Carmilla’s face, flopping down beside her on the bed trying to regain her breath. Carmilla scooted closer to her, shifting to lie on her side and wrapping an arm loosely around Laura’s waist.

 

“Hey.” Laura mumbled softly, turning to look at Carmilla. She simply smiled and blushed, but maintained the eye contact.

 

“Hey.” Carmilla whispered back. She pulled Laura closer to her, letting the smaller girl nuzzle into her chest, tucking her head under Carmilla’s chin. In turn, Laura wrapped one of her arms around Carmilla’s waist and let the other slip up to play with her hair, earning happy purrs from the taller girl. The two stayed like that, holding each other in a happy silence. Eventually the they drifted off to sleep, with Mattie climbing up onto the bed and curling up with them.

 

When Laura woke up that morning and looked around, she didn’t see Carmilla or the mess of clothes left around the room, or the cat that had curled up and was snuggled into her back. All she saw was some place that looked an awful lot like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh I hope you guys like it. I may read an embarrassing amount of smut, but I very infrequently write it, so I hope it doesn't suck. Thank you so much for your continued support!!


	12. Cliff Jumping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluffy happenings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**The** days got shorter, at the nights grew longer, and just like the cool breeze that stirred around fallen leaves, a slew of new clothes and items made their way into Carmilla’s apartment. Another coat found a home on the hangers by the door, and drawers that were once empty now had a new wardrobe inside of them. A navy blue  _ Tardis _ mug added a splash of color to the otherwise white collection, and a cabinet that was once filled with coffee grounds now had boxes of hot chocolate packets. A yellow pillow joined the matching set on Carmilla’s bed, and a second tooth brush stood upright in the cup on the bathroom sink. And just like those autumn leaves that painted the grey sidewalks shades of orange and red, Laura sprinkled color everywhere around Carmilla. The smell of chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon constantly filled the space as Halloween decorations came down to be replaced by turkeys. Carmilla thought they were tacky, dumb, and had a feeling that Mattie would try to claw them down, but she hadn’t even bothered to protest. She knew she was far too whipped to actually get her way, especially if Laura brought her puppy dog eyes out. However, the smile that appeared on Laura’s face every time she walked in and saw the festive decorations made it more than worth it.

 

The rest of the bunch hadn’t changed much at all, despite the change in season. Mel found another roommate, Betty, who no one really liked. However, the girl paid her rent and stayed out of everyone's way, so they couldn’t really complain either. Lafontaine had a grant proposal for some of their biochemical work accepted, and took time at the celebration to propose to a very happy and proud Perry. Carmilla gave the shorter ginger a taste of their own medicine, being certain to ask ‘what took them so long’.

 

Danny and Kirsch were going strong, and probably stronger than ever now that they had joined a local dodgeball team. The full group would go to watch their games and tournaments, seeing as the entire group had become good friends. They went all out with their support, going far as to make silly fan gear for the team that the couple was on. Carmilla was not a fan of sporting events, but despite herself, she loved going to them. Even if the entire time she found herself looking back at the past five months. She realized that these were some of the overall happiest times she could remember.

 

Her parents had died when Carmilla was around ten years old, but up until that point they were a lovely family. It was a car accident turned lethal, leaving her father dead on impact and her mother to die on the ride to the hospital. While she would never admit it, it was part of the reason why she refused to buy a car of her own.

 

After their death, she had been taken in by her father's sister, Lilita Morgan, who had a child of her own named Will. Her new mother had been very serious about taking care of her, making sure she was receiving the proper help to cope with the loss she had suffered. She was understanding that grieving took time, as she had lost her first husband. It wasn’t the smoothest transition and it took Carmilla years to finally call her ‘mom’, but she eventually did. They were her family and that was all she wanted to have. As she grew up she remained in a state of contentment. She had learned to cope and grew as a person, attending school and finding her passion for art. During Carmilla’s senior year, she applied and was accepted to one of the most prestigious art universities in the world. She graduated at the top of her class with two BFAs, one in illustration and the other in photography. It was hard work, but she had thrown herself into it fully and enjoyed the time she spent. Sure, she wasn’t exactly depressed, but she also wasn’t overly happy either.

 

After she graduated, she got a job at a photography company where she met Perry, who was a client at the time. They became friends eventually, especially after Carmilla met their partner Lafontaine. The rest is really history, just living and working until she found herself on that beach with a crushed sandcastle beneath her feet.

 

Whenever Carmilla was feeling particularly nostalgic, she would flip through her sketch pad. She always stopped to stare at the charcoal drawing featuring the most beautiful girl she’d ever laid eyes on. The drawing that led to the first of many times shared between the two of them tangled in the sheets. There had even been a revisit to that particular lap dance, although there was a very different ending now that the entirety of their friends weren’t huddled around watching. The two of them had created a bit of a reputation in the apartment building, and their neighbors finally gave up on knocking on their door to ask them to

 

While they spent lots of time with their friends, they spent the majority of their time together, a mess of tangled limbs and cat hair. But because of the impending holiday season, Carmilla had been utterly swamped at work. Being an artistic creator is a very taxing and time consuming job, as is being a manager of a business. But doing both, is a time suck like no one could ever imagine. From the scheduling, managing, and actively taking photos for photoshoots, to the commissioned pieces of art, Carmilla barely had a spare second for herself.

 

Before she met Laura, the long hours spent at work never bothered her; it kept her busy and didn’t allow her to dwell on any bit of loneliness she might have been feeling. But now that this adorable ray of sunshine had bounded into her life, Carmilla found herself actually looking forward to coming home from work. Despite the uptick in work for Carmilla, Laura’s work load actually slowed down. The holidays were a more relaxed time for journalism as most stories were positive, and the interns had actually been steadily improving. She was actually able to delegate work to them now, instead of just acting as a glorified babysitter.

 

After one particularly horrible day at work, (let's just say trying to have a photoshoot done with babies and animals was not exactly an ideal situation), Carmilla made the trudge up to her door and unlocked it, letting the door swing wide open. She was exhausted, her head throbbed, and her feet had grown sore in her boots. As soon as she stepped through the threshold, the warm smell of baked goods filled her nose. She took a deep breath in, relishing the sweet scent before exhaling. It helped her to begin to unwind as she dropped her bag by the door and slipped out of her black combat boots. She padded over quietly to the kitchen, following the sound of Laura humming.

 

The shorter girl stood facing the sink as she washed the various pieces of equipment she had used in the creation of whatever was in the oven. Her hair was tied back in a sloppy bun and she was still in the pajamas that she had been wearing when Carmilla kissed her goodbye that morning. She had on a pair of baggy sweatpants and one of the many flannels that Carmilla owned. Laura had quickly figured out how much the taller girl loved to see her in her clothes, and took whatever chance she could to wear her girlfriend's wardrobe. Carmilla couldn’t help the smile that was tugging at her cheeks, because she was so in love with this girl.

 

“Hey there, Cupcake.” Carmilla said, walking over to wrap her arms around the shorter girl’s waist. Laura quickly relaxed, leaning her body back into the embrace. Carmilla leaned forward slightly, placing a soft kiss to the exposed skin on her neck and rested her chin thereafter.

 

“Hey Carm,” Laura said, turning off the water and wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing. She wiggled herself around in the taller girl’s arms, leaning up to press a kiss to her favorite pair of lips, “Long day at work?”

 

“Oh God, you wouldn’t believe it.” Carmilla groaned, breaking away from Laura and angrily trudging over to the couch. She flopped down, huffing out a breath before continuing, “Some fucking idiot family decided that for their Christmas card photo, they desperately needed both their young children,  _ and their fucking cats _ , to be in the photo.”

 

Carmilla kept rambling on while Laura listened intently. Eventually the shorter girl got tired of being far away and began to wander over, sitting down next to her grumbling girlfriend. The longer that the taller girl spoke, the closer Laura curled up into her, watching as Carmilla visibly relaxed the more physical contact she received. Eventually it ended with the taller girl leaning in to Laura’s arms, soft purrs coming from her lips as Laura ran her fingertips through the dark wavy hair.

 

Carmilla didn’t noticed she had fallen asleep until she found herself slowly blinking, and upon opening her eyes she found Laura already looking at her. The shorter girl blushed at being caught, but she didn’t look away, and Carmilla happily stared back at her girlfriend. Her brain was hazy with sleep and her heart was full; all of her anger and frustrations from the day had slipped away with every brush of Laura’s fingertips through her hair.

 

“I love you.”

 

Laura’s eyes went wide before Carmilla even realized what she had said. She felt herself mimicking Laura’s reaction, both terrified of what the other girl would say back and relieved to have finally said those three words that had been weighing down so heavily on her tongue. Carmilla blinked slowly as she saw Laura’s facial expression soften, a timid smile growing on her face. Instead of replying, Laura leaned in and began to kiss Carmilla. The kiss was long and slow and full of passion. It spoke the words that struggled to leave their lips and whispered the secrets they’d never shared. When they broke the kiss their foreheads just rested against each other, exchanging loving glances.

 

“I love you too. I’m sorry it took so long for me to say it.” Laura whispered when she finally spoke, her voice shaky and uncertain. Carmilla could only smile fully, staring back at the girl she was so utterly in love with.

 

“Don’t worry about it, you’ll just have to spend time telling me over and over again.” and Laura did tell her. She told her for the rest of the night, in every moment of silence, after every moan, and in the still air right before they both fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much plot in this update but I really wanted this to be a stand alone chapter. I hope you guys like it!


	13. Cathead

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any questions or want to talk to me you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/ Thank you so much for reading!

**Thanksgiving** was almost here and Laura had been awaiting it’s arrival; it was one of her favorite holidays, along with every other holiday in existence. Her broody girlfriend, on the other hand, remained in a state of content indifference. Carmilla was, in general, not a particular fan of holidays. However, she could get behind a day dedicated to eating large quantities of food. In the lead up to the big turkey day they had attended “friends-giving” two separate times: one at Lafontaine and Perry’s place and the other with Danny and Kirsch.

 

The first had been at the apartment that Danny and Kirsch shared. The whole bunch had squeezed into the surprisingly small space and ate a casual dinner huddled around the television. There was a big game on and despite the company, Kirsch and Danny instead of watching, so everyone else just pulled over their chairs and joined in with the cheering.

 

Dinner with Lafontaine and Perry was far more formal in every sense of the word: it was six courses with an intermezzo, all prepared deftly by the taller red head herself. The entire group had dressed to the nines for the occasion and even Kirsch put on a real blazer, although he still did insist on not wearing a tie. Laura spent the entire night trying to not so obviously drool over her girlfriend who looked utterly devastating in a fitted navy blazer. Despite the flirting, confusion over which fork was supposed to be used first, and having a little too much to drink, Carmilla and Laura found themselves overwhelmed with happiness that stemmed from being around such wonderful people. Plus, the horrified expression on Perry’s face when Danny and Kirsch had a fight over the wishbone was something to smile about.

 

After she found out that the taller girl had no plans, Laura very kindly offered to have Carmilla come to her own family thanksgiving. Carmilla’s family was on holiday and spending the holiday alone wasn’t something she minded. The dark haired girl was going to protest until her girlfriend mentioned that her father was very eager to meet her.

 

Carmilla was fearless: She could, and very much had, stared death in the eyes and spat in it’s face. She watched horror movies like it was her job, dressed up as a vampire for every halloween party, and certainly wasn’t afraid of things that go bump in the night. But meeting the parents? She would have to redact her fearlessness to a simple statement of having ‘only one fear’. The idea of being sat at a dinner table with the father who sent his daughter off to college with more bear spray than she knew existed and insisted on her taking Krav Maga lessons was far more terrifying than having dinner with Freddy Krueger. At least with Freddy she knew he was out to get her.

 

“Darling, it’s going to be fine, I’m sure he’ll love you.” Laura encouraged as they loaded up the trunk of her car with their belongings. Carmilla gave a weak smile at the pet name, as Laura only used it when she knew that the taller girl needed some extra loving. The two of them were set to drive up to spend the full Holiday weekend with Mr. Hollis, and Carmilla felt like a cat being brought to the vet. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but the taller girl couldn’t help but thinking it was the day before her funeral.

 

“I just,” Carmilla mewled, giving the apartment a once over before locking the door and walking out of the building to the parking lot, “Do we have to take a car?”

 

Laura looked at her with delicate eyes, walking over and wrapping her arms around Carmilla. The taller girl melted into her body, letting her face nestle into the crook of Laura’s neck. Carmilla’s breath was ragged, sounding similarly to gasping for air as her body shuddered in Laura’s arms. She held Carmilla in her arms till she heard her breathing steady again and her body finally relax. Only then did she let go of the tight grip she had on Carmilla. She had explained her fears around cars to Laura and their back story, and Laura made sure to be nothing less but respectful, always. She also was smart enough to know that Carmilla was anxious about more than just the car, but wasn’t going to push it.

 

“If you want you can always ride your motorcycle up and I can drive the car?” she offered as a solution. Carmilla’s face soured as she tried to run through the list of pros and cons depending on which option she chose. Sure, if she went on her motorcycle she wouldn’t have to be in the car, but she’d be away from Laura. Plus, she would probably have to explain to Laura’s family why she wasn’t in the car. After a long silence, Carmilla finally spoke.

 

“No, it’s okay. I can’t spend the rest of my life running away from car rides, or anything else that scares me for that matter.” Carmilla stated, trying to feel as confident as she sounded. Laura reached out and took her hand, giving it a compassionate squeeze before letting go. Carmilla took a deep breath, mustering up her courage, before climbing into the passenger side of Laura’s car.

 

Carmilla quickly fell asleep on the ride up, aided by the pillow and blanket that her girlfriend had left her on the seat. The trip wasn’t long, only about two and a half hours, and Laura couldn’t help but hope that Carmilla would sleep through the entirety of the ride. She would steal glances (when she could safely, of course, she was transporting precious cargo) at the sleeping girl next to her. She was wrapped up in the blanket, her hands gripping it tightly as she purred softly in her sleep.

 

There were times where Carmilla reminded Laura of a sleek black panther, prowling around with a dark mystery. Completely predatory in nature, and full with the desire to both protect and hunt. And there were other times, like in the car, where she reminded her more of a small kitten; gentle, fearless, but still needing a little bit of protection.

 

When Laura finally pulled up to her father's house she let out a sigh of relief: it was good to be back. Her father still lived in the house she grew up in, meaning that she would have to somehow keep Carmilla from seeing the mass amounts of embarrassing photos scattered around the rooms. But it also meant getting to make new memories in the house that had contained her childhood. The house was on the smaller side, as she had no other siblings, but was still gorgeous in design. It was two story and had little balconies on the second floor that led out from the bedrooms.

 

Beside her, her girlfriend wiggled in the chair, making soft purring noises as she slowly started to stir. Laura chuckled to herself quietly, pulling out her phone and quickly snapping a photo before Carmilla fully woke up. Once she had evidence of how adorable her girlfriend looked asleep, she leaned across the middle dash and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

 

“Hey gorgeous, we’re here.” Laura whispered softly, staring into Carmilla’s fluttering eyes. The sleepy girl below her gave her a stupid grin, leaning up to capture Laura’s lips in a surprisingly forceful kiss. The shorter girl let out an embarrassing squeak but eagerly kissed her back, moaning as Carmilla’s tongue ran over her lip. Feeling herself getting far too caught up, she pulled away breathlessly, “Woah there, lady killer, slow down before my dad comes out and sees you sticking your tongue down his daughter's throat.”

 

“’S not the only place I’ve put my tongue that he wouldn’t like.” Carmilla mumbled with a cheeky smirk and Laura felt her cheeks flush. She climbed out of the car and moved to open the trunk before Carmilla could find more ways to make her face heat up.

 

~~~

 

As Carmilla was crushed in one of the larger bear hugs she’d ever received, she found herself wondering why she was ever worried about Laura’s dad liking her. That comfort was tainted only when he whispered in her ear, “If you hurt my daughter, I’ll hunt you down.”

 

Despite the mixed signals she got from the introduction, Carmilla felt comfortable in the Hollis’s house almost instantly. Because it was Laura’s childhood home, there was a coziness about the house that seemed to even have seeped into the floor boards.

 

The two of them were staying in the guest room after some tense negotiation between Laura and Mr. Hollis (he wanted them to stay in separate rooms, and Laura retorted by saying she was twenty four years old), and they already had moved in their bags. Carmilla had spent that entire conversation trying to not burst out laughing, as all of the descriptions of Laura’s father were finally making sense. Laura had left Carmilla alone to unpack her clothes while she talked with her father about dinner. Alone in a new environment, Carmilla wandered around the top floor until she found herself standing in the door frame of a child’s room.

 

The yellow walls were adorned with posters of a certain British boy band, a very large  _ Tardis _ , and plenty of Harry Potter memorabilia. Carmilla chuckled to herself and decided to explore, wandering over to the dresser. On top of it there were lots of old photos, trophies adorned with Laura’s name, and pieces of art that looked like they belonged to a four year old.

 

Carmilla scanned over the various bits of memorabilia until she stopped at a particular photo. The frame was faded and dusty, the age of the photo apparent in it. In the frame there was a family photo. There was a girl with shoulder length honey brown hair, slightly crooked teeth, and a grin that stretched from ear to ear. Next to the girl was a younger version of Laura’s father and a woman next to him. She had Laura’s eyes exactly, from the shape to the sparkle inside of them. The smile the three of them shared was infectious, and Carmilla found herself smiling even wider as she took in all of the details her memory would allow. She knew that woman was Laura’s mother, and that Laura had lost her when she was around thirteen years old. More importantly, Carmilla knew that feeling of loss far too well.

 

“Caught ya red handed.” Laura’s voice proclaimed from behind Carmilla, and the two of them started to laugh as the taller girl turned around and tackled her in a hug. The couple stumbled, as Laura was caught both off guard and off balance, and it took a couple of steps before they were back securely on their feet. Carmilla couldn’t help but think back to catching Laura at the club all those months ago, but this time she leaned in and gave her the kiss she had so desperately wanted to then. It only stopped when the two of them simply started smiling too much to kiss anymore. “What were you doing in here?”

 

“I got bored so I figured I’d take a walk.” Carmilla explained, letting her hands splay out against the toned muscles in Laura’s back. She let one hand wander down to grip Laura’s ass tightly. It made her feel like a teenager again; getting handsy in Laura’s childhood bedroom with her father downstairs, knowing damn well he could walk in on them. Carmilla would never admit to the heat that started to grow at the prospect of being caught.

 

“Well if you’re tired of playing detective, my dad made chili and cornbread for dinner, and it’s ready to eat.” Laura said, giving Carmilla a gentle kiss before coyly slipping out of her arms, walking away with her hips swaying behind her. Food wasn’t the only reason that Carmilla took off running towards the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the support on this story has truly made writing it absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for reading! I hope you like it.


	14. "X" Marks the Spot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long update time. I had a lot of work with classes wrapping up, and then writers block decided it needed to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading! If you want to talk to me about the story or just want to, you can find me at http://jellylovesdoughnuts.tumblr.com/

**The** rest of Thanksgiving at the Hollis’s went off without a hitch, and Laura watched as Carmilla easily fit right into the complex fabric of her family. On turkey day her extended family bustled in, cousins and uncles and grandparents filling the house with life till it creaked. Laura’s family was generally liberal, and despite the few oddballs now and then, they all had been very accepting when she came out to them. What Laura had failed to mention is that Carmilla was the first girl that Laura had ever brought to a family occasion, shoving the dark haired girl directly into the spotlight.

 

Laura’s heart melted as she watched Carmilla interact with the different parts of her family. The gentle way she spoke and listened to her grandparents made Laura’s chest feel full. The playful and nurturing side of Carmilla that came out while chasing Laura’s little cousins around made Laura rethink her position on having kids. Carmilla continued to impress by deftly handling a conversation with her Uncle Bob, who might’ve been even more protective than her father. Laura knew how much family meant to Carmilla, and she was so happy to be able to welcome her to her own. Laura’s emotions were a bottle of champagne that someone shook up in a dryer: she was so happy she swore she was going to burst. 

In general, Laura never waited or needed anyone’s approval to do something or to be herself. She was far too stubborn and feminist minded to let someone else hold her back. However, acceptance was important to her, especially from her family. Growing up, she didn’t have a very large group of friends, as she always preferred to have a few close friends instead. But for the first time, approval was something that she wanted, especially from her dad.

 

She could tell her father approved of her raven haired girlfriend because of key clues. The first of which being that he insisted Carmilla call him by his first name, Sherman, instead of Mr. Hollis. That was an honor reserved for his closest friends, so bestowing it on Carmilla meant more to Laura than it probably did to her. Another clue was the way his face lit up when Carmilla participated in the seemingly mandatory ‘rag-on-Laura’ tradition. This was a tradition in which, just as the name suggested, all of the family members would just tease Laura. If there was a way to her father’s heart besides self defense, it was participating in the art of razzing, and that was an art Carmilla was well versed in.

 

As they were saying their goodbyes, Laura’s father tugged her in for one of his signature overly tight hugs. He smelled like wood and talcum powder, and she happily breathed him in. Just like the house, he hadn’t changed much since she was a child. He had more of a full stomach and less hair on the top of his head, but the charm and his nature was as solid as his stature. Once he finally let go, Sharman held her arms gently. When Laura looked up, she saw a look in her father's eyes she couldn’t recognize.

 

“Now I know you two have only been together for a short time, but I don’t want you to mess this up, and I don’t want her to mess it up either.” Sherman spoke, his voice steady and soft like his grip. Laura opened her mouth to start, making a sarcastic remark about her ability to mess up things, but he quickly continued. “I don’t know much about Carmilla, as this is the first time I’ve met her, but I can tell she’s a special one.”

 

“How can you tell?” Laura blurted out and her dad just shook his head slowly, a knowing smile tugging at his cheeks as he placed a kiss on Laura’s forehead. 

 

“Because, she looks at you like I looked at your mother. And you look at her like your mother looked at me.” He said quietly, letting go of Laura’s arms to absentmindedly run his hand over the worn mate mark on his left hand. “Not everyone get’s lucky with who their soul mate is, but you two remind me of the reason it exists at all.”

 

Laura felt her eyes well up with tears, an overflowing happiness that pricked the corner of her eyes. She threw her arms around her father, holding him tightly with an urgency that made it seem that letting go would allow him to disappear. When she let her arms loosen around him, she saw the gleam in his eyes and felt the weight of unspoken words on her lips. The gratitude she wanted to give, the love she wanted to express, everything that was far too meaningful for words to convey. Instead she balled her hand into a fist and pressed it to her chest; an exchange the two of them had been doing since she was a child. He reciprocated with pride on his face, and Laura had never been so happy to call him dad before.

 

“Hey, we’re all packed up to go.” Carmilla called from behind the car and Laura gave her dad one last hug before walking over to the driver’s seat. As she got into the car, she watched her father walk over to Carmilla and place an arm on her shoulder. He leaned over to whisper something in her ear, and she responded by hugging him just as tightly as Laura had earlier. They ended their embrace and he walked back towards the house, turning to wave goodbye as Carmilla climbed into the car.

 

As the car pulled away and the house slowly disappeared behind them, Laura’s curiosity got the best of her. “So, what did my dad say to you?”

 

Carmilla chuckled, shifting in her makeshift bed to face the driver. Laura’s eyes were trained on the road but she could head the smirk on Carmilla’s lip as she responded, “Oh, nothing, just his secret bear spray recipe.”

 

Laura couldn’t help but laugh as she drove the rest of the way home in a comfortable silence. She doubted Carmilla’s response, as her classic sarcastic tone had sealed its fate to fiction, but couldn’t help acknowledge the possibility of it being true.

 

~~~

 

It was the most wonderful time of the year, otherwise known as the Christmas season, and the holiday spirit was everywhere: it spilled into the streets, decorated skylines, and sprinkled itself into the deepest, darkest corners. Even the most bitter of Scrooge's had the corners of their lips upturned into sickeningly sweet grins. The only place that cheer wasn’t spread to, was Carmilla. Laura knew her wonderfully broody girlfriend despised holidays, all except halloween, (if we’re being nitpicky), but she never knew why.

 

Laura found herself pondering this over while sitting in her desk chair, aimlessly tapping her pen against her desk. In front of her was a paper copy of an article about the ‘controversy’ of calling the Christmas tree in front of the State House a ‘Holiday tree’. Laura couldn’t find herself capable to care about this article. What did it matter to people if it was called a Holiday tree or a Christmas tree? It’s just a tree with lights on it at the end of the day.

 

As Laura’s boredom weighed heavily on her shoulders, her investigative side was kicking in, the curiosity starting to gnaw at the base of her neck. Instead of editing the article, she decided to do a little digging of her own. Besides, she could just ask JP to edit it for her later, it wasn’t like he had anything better to do besides flirt with the other interns.

 

Laura pushed back from her desk to access her bag. She unzipped the top and slipped her laptop out, moving her chair back into place before setting her laptop down on the desk. She opened it and watched as the screen whirled to life. She entered her password and took some time to marvel at her desktop background: it was a photo of Carmilla and Laura from Thanksgiving in which the grins on their faces were deep as canyons and as sickeningly sweet as cotton candy. Laura stopped staring and opened up her web browser. She typed ‘Carmilla Karnstein into the search bar of the window and pushed enter, cursing the investigative journalism classes she was forced to take at university. If you wanted information on someone, all you had to do was search their name. When the page refreshed, Laura’s jaw practically unhinged.

 

Her humble girlfriend had quite a long list of achievements, more than Laura knew herself. The results of the search showed a plethora of articles reviewing and praising the work of Carmilla Karnstein. Laura’s eyes began to gaze over as she scrolled through countless articles, thinking about the things her girlfriend had accomplished. It wasn’t that Carmilla kept things from her, she’d simply always been more private. For someone who knew her as intimately as Laura did, it was interesting to see what strangers said about her. After stalking her official websites for art and photography collections, Laura stumbled upon her personal information. But instead of her phone number or email address, she found that Carmilla was half jewish, had an aversion to nutmeg, and hated wearing flip flops. Tumblr is a beautiful website.

 

An idea hit her like a freight train, sending cogs in Laura’s head spinning a mile a minute. Laura quickly searched for the dates of Hanukkah on her calendar. When she finally found the dates, she started doing a happy dance in her desk chair. Laura even did a celebratory fist pump in honor of Kirsch, because her excitement simply demanded an action. She learned that the dates of Hanukkah overlapped with Christmas.

 

When Laura got home from work that day, she found Carmilla curled up with one of her many philosophy books on the couch. There was a mug of what she only assumed to be coffee and Mattie curled up into her side delicately. At the sound of the door, Mattie jumped off the couch, prowling towards Laura. When she arrive at her feet, the black cat affectionately brushed her face against Laura’s legs. Carmilla watched from her seat with a smile on her face, dark eyes peering over the spine of her book. Laura warmed under Carmilla’s intense gaze, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks and causing a smile to blossom into her cheeks. Laura found herself wondering how Carmilla could do so much with simply a look, and she eventually wandered over to plop herself down on the couch. The frame groaned under their combined weight, and Laura leaned over, capturing Carmilla’s smirking lips in a quick kiss.

 

“Hey there, cutie.” Carmilla purred, adjusting her position so that way the two of them could be closer together.

 

Instead of responding, Laura leaned in to kiss Carmilla again. Their embrace was fuller, mouths opened to welcome the touch of each other’s teeth and tongues. Laura felt Carmilla’s finger tips travel up the outline of her body, their final destination being curled around a fistful of her blouse. Those strong fingers tugged Laura closer and she moaned softly, her heart picking up it’s pace in anticipation of what would come next. She reached up, letting her hand tangle in those gorgeous raven curls that cascaded down Carmilla’s shoulders and back. She sank her teeth into Carmilla’s sinfully soft bottom lip, eliciting a quiet whimper from her lover’s mouth.

 

When Laura finally pulled away the two of them were breathless: flushed cheeks, messy hair, and swollen lips gave them the appearance of guilty teenagers.

 

“How was your day? Must’ve been miserable without me.” Laura remarked cheekily as she scooted herself into the warmth of her girlfriend’s body. She rested her head against Carmilla’s chest, listening to the heart beating inside that was desperately trying to calm down. Laura couldn’t help but feel smug, knowing that she had gotten Carmilla worked up, and was taking far too much pride in that fact.

 

“Oh you know, the usual. I cried periodically and stared broodily out the window, wondering when my wife would return from the war.” Carmilla replied dramatically, causing the two of them to burst out laughing as the relaxed into their domesticity.

 

One of Carmilla’s hands left it’s place on Laura’s shoulder and wandered north to run delicately through her hair. Laura sighed happily at the contact, and relaxed further as she studied the rhythm of Carmilla’s heartbeat. It was solid, brazen, and the longer she listened the steadier it became. It was one of her favorite sounds, as it grounded her and kept her present. Laura craned her head back so she could take in the sight of her girlfriend. She studied Carmilla’s face; the strength of her brow, the length of her eyelashes, the subtle curl of her lips. There wasn’t a detail about Carmilla that Laura didn’t know by heart. However, there also wasn’t a chance that she would stop memorizing everything over again. After all, how could anyone want to stop staring? She was absolutely smitten.

 

“Like something you see, cupcake?” That silky smooth voice broke Laura’s concentration  and those dark chocolate eyes locked with her own. She felt her heart jump from the sheer intensity of Carmilla’s gaze, but it wasn’t from fear: it was excitement.

 

“Yeah, I do.” Laura replied with a boldness that surprised herself along with her girlfriend looking down at her. Carmilla swallowed slowly and she stared up at the movement in the column of her throat. How badly Laura wanted to mark that flawless porcelain skin.

 

“Take a picture, cutie, it’ll last longer.” Carmilla chuckled out, her composure was not as simple to fracture as her girlfriend’s. Laura simply huffed in response, crossing her arms over her chest with a childish pout on her face. Carmilla couldn’t help but laugh at how adorable her girlfriend looked, and Laura was quick to lose her composure and followed with laughter. Laura sat up and stretched her arms, letting her limbs fall slack before yawning loudly and standing up. She turned around, planting a quick kiss on Carmilla’s forehead before walking off towards the bathroom.

 

Upon entering their shared bedroom Laura quickly unbuttoned her blouse, tossing it in the hamper before sitting down on the edge of the bed. She pulled off her socks and stood up to wiggle herself out of her slacks. She padded over to the hamper and put the rest of her clothes in and wandered into the bathroom, not bothering to close the door behind her. Once inside, she turned on the shower and slipped out of her bra and underwear as she waited for the water to heat up. She quickly scampered out to the bedroom to turn on some music, (singing in the shower was a guilty pleasure she simply couldn’t kick), and then stepped in behind the shower door. 

 

The warm water felt like a hug as it rolled over the skin of Laura’s back. She hadn’t even realized how tired her muscles were until she realized just how good it felt to have pressure on them. She started washing her hair as she hummed along to the music, her hips swaying slightly to the beat as she let herself get lost in her own world. As she leaned back into the stream of water to rinse the shampoo out, the hair on her body prickled at an unexpected cold breeze.

 

Laura felt Carmilla’s breath against her neck before she even had time to register her presence, feeling her fingers ghost over the outline they had created earlier over Laura’s clothes. Her heart picked up pace as she felt the rest of Carmilla’s naked body pressing itself flush to her back, those fingertips becoming more adventurous in their explorations of Laura’s curves and angles.

 

“Slow hands, like sweat dripping down our dirty laundry.” Laura sang, fighting for composure in her voice. She turned around to face Carmilla, kissing those smirking lips hard as she pushed their bodies closer. The taller girl ended the kiss quickly to kiss down the length of Laura’s neck.

“I already know that there ain’t no stopping your plans and those slow hands.” Laura sang out in time with the chorus, her breath catching in her throat as she felt Carmilla’s teeth sink into the column of her neck. She could feel her girlfriend’s smirk against her skin and let her own hands run up to tug on those soaked raven curls. Laura moaned, reveling in the feeling of Carmilla sucking and nipping at the tender flesh of her throat.

 

When the taller girl was satisfied with the new shade of purple that adorned her lover’s neck, she just simply started, letting her eyes slowly rake up Laura’s toned frame. Those yoga classes were paying off, more than Laura herself might have even noticed. Carmilla grinned, giving her flushed girlfriend a chaste kiss on the lips before slipping out of the shower and closing the bathroom door.

 

She chuckled, ignoring the string of curses that were coming out from the shower as she quickly dried off and put on some comfortable clothes. As Carmilla worked on the long process of towel drying her hair, the sound of the bathroom door opening caused her to turn around. She was met with the stunning image of Laura, a towel loosely wrapped around her body and she just gawked as she followed the trails that water droplets made down Laura’s body.

 

Carmilla felt herself just as in awe as the first instance when she had seen her girlfriend naked, only this time it was without the anxiety of a first time. And unlike before, Laura had a sickeningly smug smile on her face. Without a word, she let the towel pool around her ankles and Carmilla’s jaw hit the floor.

 

“See something you like?” Laura said, mocking Carmilla’s tone from earlier. In any other situation Carmilla would fight, remain her snarky and apathetic self. But when Laura took control like that, all she could do was nod in response. The smile on her girlfriend’s face only deepened, and she slowly walked over to Carmilla, her hips swaying sinfully as she did. When she was almost close enough to touch, Laura leaned over and whispered softly in Carmilla’s ear, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

 

Carmilla did, and took more than just one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it!


	15. I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In... (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holigays from my favorite ship! Part one of a two part holiday saga. The beginning is a little angsty, but in a good way! I promise it ends happily lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm super sorry about the long update time, I really love this story but it probably only has a few chapters left in it just because I love how fluffy and happy it is. However I do plan to write lots more, and already have a few more AUs in mind!

**Carmilla** woke up from her nap to a scent she hadn’t smelled in years. Seventeen of them, to be exact. She sat up slowly and blinked, taking in the details of the room in low light. The fragrance in question glided under the door to the bedroom filled the room in a manner so delicate, that the groggy girl couldn’t recall if it smelled this way when she had drifted off to sleep. It was a questionably familiar mix of cinnamon, potatoes, and wine; a combination one wouldn’t exactly peg as pleasant. But to Carmilla, this was an all too amiable scent. She took a deep breath, basking in the way the air filled her nose, as a tsunami of nostalgia crashed over her.

 

She found herself standing at the kitchen counter, a small bundle of joy bouncing up and down, fascinated by deft movements of her mother’s hands as she prepared dinner. Carmilla loved watching her mother cook; the time she spent crowded around the counter were some of her fondest memories.

 

Her father had taken the day off of work to be home with family and help her mother cook, another favorite occurrence of Carmilla’s. Both of her parents worked, so any time that she was able to spend with them was something she cherished even at a young age. She had bounded home from school that day into her father’s arms, letting him pick her up and spin her around. Carmilla had been in a fit of giggles and let her dad throw her over his shoulder to carry her upstairs, watching her mother playfully shake her head at the two of them with a deep set grin on her face.

 

She remembered feeling exceptionally beautiful that night; she was wearing her hair in two braids that her father had done for her. He always prided himself on being able to do his daughter’s hair, and Carmilla knew how much it meant to him to do it. It didn’t matter that she could do it herself; it was a moment of bonding that the two of them shared, and she wouldn’t trade that for anything. 

 

The three of them sang, ate, played dreidel, and Carmilla went to bed that night with a wide smile and a new stash of chocolate coins. She was nine years old then, the last time she had celebrated Hanukkah with her family. It became the last time she celebrated it at all.

 

Carmilla felt a drop of water land on her thigh and it was only then that she noticed she had begun to cry. She roughly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, frustrated with herself for caving in so easily to emotions she worked hard on managing. She scooted to the end of the bed and grabbed the box of tissues from the night stand. Upon standing, the box victim to an overly tight grip, she eventually wandered into the bathroom. As she passed the threshold, she used her free hand to flick on the light switch, immediately squinting as her eyes adjusted to the bright light.

 

She studied her reflection in the mirror and grimaced: her hair had barely stayed in the bun she had put it in when she had gone to sleep, makeup she hadn’t realized she had on was now smeared and smudged, and her eyes were angry with tears. Carmilla used the tissues to blow her nose and made sure she was considerate while dabbing the tears away from her eyes; she didn’t want Laura to see that she had been crying. She had been making a conscious effort to not hide her emotions from her girlfriend, but old habits die hard. Besides, this was something she didn’t want to talk about just yet.

 

Carmilla took a few more deep breaths, letting herself take the time to steady her breathing till she could without any hitches. Once she thought it didn’t look like she had been crying, she exited the bathroom and turned on the light in the bedroom. She grabbed one of Laura’s hoodies that were piled on the floor and put on a pair of slippers, shuffling out into the rest of the apartment. The first thing Carmilla noticed was that it seemed dimmer than usual, and the familiar scent had only gotten stronger. The fairy lights that she had set up were turned on, as well as random candles lit on tables. She let her feet carry her to the kitchen where she found Laura.

 

The room was a complete mess; pots, pans, and cutting boards were strewn around the counters and chairs. There were piles of ingredients and print out of recipes and a cookbook that Carmilla could’ve swore she had seen before, but couldn’t remember where.

 

“Hey there, sleepy head.” Laura said, hearing Carmilla walk over towards her. She turned around to look fondly at her groggy, but wide eyed girlfriend.

 

Carmilla looked at all the food that had been prepared, finally able to match smells to the dishes they belonged to. Everything looked delicious and she could feel herself abruptly become hungry, but when her eyes landed on Laura, Carmilla became utterly starving. She was in a royal blue floor length dress and a pair of short silver heels. Her hair was half tied up, small braids holding back gorgeous waves of honey brown hair. The dress had an empire waistline which only accentuated her naturally hour glass frame, and the material looked like silk. The dresses straps showed off Laura’s cleavage and collar bones, and Carmilla felt her mouth go dry; she suddenly felt very underdressed

 

“What’s all this for?” She choked out, clearing her throat to disguise her lack of composure.

 

“Well,” Laura started uneasily as her nerves started to set in. She was unsure of how Carmilla was going to react to what she had done, “I did a little digging, you know, the investigator in me, and so I found out that you were half jewish and I know you hate the holidays but cause it’s our first holiday alone I thought maybe we could celebrate Hanukkah together? I called your mom, God I sound like a stalker, and I asked if there were any recipes or things you liked in particular and-”

 

“Darling, you’re rambling.” Carmilla breathed out. There was an unmistakable tightness in her chest and she felt her heart pick up in pace. She was scared of the emotions she had spent so long working to overcome and bury were about to spill over the surface. She was scared that she would cry and in turn hurt Laura because of a misunderstanding as to why. Laura’s eyes locked with hers and suddenly she was scared because of how much she loved this girl.

 

“So, in short, I thought we would celebrate Hanukkah together, cause tonight is the first night.” Laura finished confidently, slight unnerved by her girlfriend’s lack of response.

 

Carmilla’s knees were weak and she gripped the counter top as discretely as possible. Feelings swirled around inside her like a hurricane no therapist or meteorologist could’ve ever prepared her for. Except this wasn’t a panic attack, this was an internal battle to make the right decision. Everything was telling her to say no, stick to the promise she had made with herself to never have a traditional Hanukkah celebration again. But as the voices became overwhelming, a much softer voice in the back of her head insisted she give it a try. The other voices were louder and crass, but this one was gentle and kind. That voice offered reassurance, and more importantly, it was full of hope. Carmilla knew that voice better than her own, as it had belonged to her mother.

 

“You did all of this, for me?” Carmilla spoke almost inaudibly, uncertainty causing her voice to waver. She watched as Laura’s eyes widened and her lips turn into that smile that Carmilla swore was brighter than the sun.

 

“Of course I did.” The shorter girl replied. She took a few steps towards Carmilla to close the distance between them and placed her hands firmly on the pale girl’s hips. She looked directly into her eye’s with such passion and love that Carmilla almost needed to turn away, but she didn’t. Laura leaned forwards, pressing a kiss that was so delicate and easy to her girlfriend’s lips that Carmilla felt her heart wobble. The stormy seas inside of the dark haired girl were slowly quelled till they resembled a placid lake.

 

Their lips parted slowly and time was spent merely breathing in the breaths that the other exhaled.

 

“Now,” Laura started after she pulled away. Her forehead now rested against Carmilla’s and her lips were still temptingly close, “go get yourself cleaned up, there’s something hanging up for you to wear on my side of the closet.”

 

“You picked out something for me to wear? What are you, my mom?” Carmilla said with a snarky smirk, returning to her normal self. She could feel how deeply and fully Laura cared about her through every action she took and every word she spoke. The love that the two of them shared was bright enough to light a black hole, and deep enough to rival even the farthest depths of the ocean. And although she’d never admit it, Carmilla found the demanding tone that Laura used kinda hot. Her girlfriend just winked in response and shooed her out of the kitchen. Carmilla just shrugged and slunk back towards the bedroom, enjoying the smooth jazz music that Laura had turned on. 

 

When Carmilla found the outfit that had been picked out for her, her jaw practically hit the floor. She could tell that Laura had gone through lots of trouble to research the traditional aspects of Hanukkah, but this dress was anything but orthodox; a black slinky floor length number that clung to every inch of Carmilla’s skin, adorned with slits up both sides by her legs and a plunging neckline.

 

Carmilla felt her cheeks warm up as she looked herself over in the mirror. She couldn’t help being embarrassed, almost feeling childish for wearing something her girlfriend picked out. Yet at the same time, she also couldn’t believe what the dress that Laura had chosen. The dark haired girl couldn’t ignore the way her heart had started to race with anticipation of what else her girlfriend had in store for the two of them. The elegance and formality of the dress demanded to be matched by every aspect of the outfit, causing Carmilla to decide to do her makeup to complete the look. She settled on a neutral smokey eye with a strong black wing, taking time to dress the rest of her face up as well. Upon finishing, she made the decision to leave her hair down, letting the pitch black waves cascade down her back in an artfully disheveled manner. Carmilla took a final deep breath before slipping on a pair of heels and leaving the bedroom.

 

Despite knowing that she looked so good she could probably bring anyone to their knees, Carmilla was still nervous. She was no stranger to the desire to please those she loved, especially when it came to her girlfriend. She wanted, no, she needed Laura to like what she saw. Her eagerness was so overwhelming, it had culminated to an intensity that Carmilla had never experienced before. Confidence filled her at a snail's pace as she sauntered towards the kitchen where her expectant girlfriend was waiting. Before she could even finish crossing the threshold of the room, Laura was plastered to Carmilla’s front. She had her hands placed firmly on the taller girl’s hips and kept them flush to her body. Laura leaned in teasingly close, lips almost near enough to touch, and had the most devilish smirk that the raven haired girl had ever seen.

 

“I could just eat you alive.” Laura purred out, her voice becoming the cause of Carmilla’s blushing cheeks and racing heart. She was frozen in place; a fly tangled up in a spider's web, waiting to be devoured. However, this wasn’t a feeling she minded; the hungry look that Laura had in her eyes made Carmilla wonder if her appetite extended beyond dinner.

 

When dinner was over the two of them had shared a bottle and a half of wine, and were playing a sickeningly romantic game of under-the-table footsie; something Laura was certain only existed in the movies. Throughout the course of the delicious meal, they had slowly shifted closer together and were now sitting right next to each other. The two girls were currently tied in dreidle victories, despite Carmilla’s hand being permanently glued to Laura’s thigh. The final round cast the older girl as the victor, leading the count of victories by one.

 

“Thank you for all of this, cupcake, dinner was delicious.” Carmilla said, leaning closer towards her rosy cheeked lover. She placed a chaste kiss against Laura’s lips and pulled away to a distance where their lips would brush whenever one of them spoke. Before she continued Carmilla started to slowly run her hand farther up Laura’s thigh, “However, I’d really love something sweet for dessert.”

 

Laura watched intently as her girlfriend’s eyes darted around; from her eyes, her lips, and farther down her body. Her cheeks were a deep pink and there was no way to disguise what the darker haired girl was doing to her. She swallowed thickly as she felt Carmilla’s hand stop mere inches shy of where Laura so desperately wanted them.

 

“I cooked all this food for dinner, and you still want to eat out?” Laura shot back with a smirk. She wasn’t going to win this game, but if she was going down she sure as hell was going to take Carmilla with her. Laura was met with an equally cocky grin as her girlfriend’s hands left their spot on her body and repositioned on the outside of Laura’s chair; pushing it away from the table and then turning it so it faced Carmilla.

 

There was a glint in her eyes; something utterly predatory that sent shivers down Laura’s spine as she watched the raven haired girl elegantly rise from her seat and sink to the floor. The shorter girl gawked as Carmilla prowled forward on the floor to occupy the spot directly in front of her legs. She sat back on her haunches before gently tapping her lover’s knee; Laura’s legs parted at an embarrassing pace. Carmilla then surged forward, allowing her body take up the newly created space. The look of sheer desperation in Laura’s eyes was all she needed to spur her confidence She reached her hands up and placed them on either side of her hips, sliding Laura’s body closer in one fluid motion.

 

“I did will our dreidel tournament, but I’m sick of chocolate coins.” Carmilla husked out, her voice deepened with arousal. She pushed that gorgeous blue dress up her girlfriend’s legs slowly, enjoying the way Laura’s chest was moving up and down erratically with every breath she took. Carmilla hooked her fingers into the waistband of her girlfriend’s lacy underwear, slipping the soaked fabric down her thighs till they rested around her ankles. The smell of lust was so overwhelming that all of Carmilla’s patience left her, murmuring out, “I want something else that’s just as sweet”, before diving in to drink down her prize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys liked it! As always you can find me on tumblr @jellylovesdoughnuts or message me here. Thank you so much for all the love and support with this story it means the world to me.


	16. On Christmas Day in the Morning (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter of this lovely fic. (...and laura has a praise kink....) merry christmas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh thank you all so so much for all your support. I know I made you guys wait forever for this update so I hope that over 7000 words makes up for it! Super big shout out to mynameisnikki for helping edit this last chapter. This is the last chapter in the story and the next update will be a little epilogue. Thank you all so so much and I hope you enjoy.

**Ever** since Laura put all that effort into celebrating Hanukkah, Carmilla found herself in the holiday spirit. She no longer cringed at the sound of Christmas music, or made gagging sounds at decorations. Hell, she didn't even go out of her way to tell children that Santa was a capitalistic fraud. Most people wouldn’t call that real involvement in the season’s greetings. Then again, there’s only so much you can ask for from someone who gives scrooge a run for their money.

 

Being brought as the plus one to the holiday party that Laura’s office was hosting put that new found spirit to the test, and getting her into the theme of ‘Ugly Christmas Sweater’ was more than a challenge. She conceded to attend only after giving a fair warning to her girlfriend that she would be miserable the entire time. Yet, when Carmilla stumbled into Laura's open arms underneath the mistletoe, she struggled to remember her misery. She kissed her rosy cheeked girlfriend while the rest of the group cheered. One of Laura’s interns, J.P, had taken a photo of the two of them that now was Carmilla’s phone background. While she still hated the holidays in general, there was only so long she could be a grinch when Laura made her heart grown ten times it’s size. The materialistic frenzy around Christmas diluted the actual meaning behind the holiday, but for once it was something Carmilla actually agreed with. Still, _ agreed _ was far too strong of a word, but she loved any excuse to spoil Laura.

 

However, the current pressure to buy her significant other a present was the only a cause of frustration. The time spend snooping through Pinterest or Amazon wish-lists gave Carmilla headaches instead of ideas. She ran her hand through her hair, brushing the waves out of her face that blocked the view of the notepad in front of her. The page seemed to frown back at her: a yellow piece of paper covered with incomprehensible scribbles and doodles. These were all hieroglyphics of potential gift ideas for Laura.  

 

Laura was working late that night leaving Carmilla all by her lonesome. Wanting some company, she called up one of her favorite redheads to make dinner plans. They had decided to meet up after Laf got off work and go to their favorite diner. Across from her now sat a concerned Lafontaine, their eyebrows furrowed and their lips were pursed. They had a thought on the tip of their tongue, but thought better to let it stay private. They knew that Carmilla would speak up if she needed anything; while she was often seen as stoic, she truly wore her heart on her sleeve. They didn’t need to pester her for information because she would come to them on her own time. 

 

It was a swanky hole-in-the-wall that the two of them had discovered after one too many a couple of years ago. The entire place felt retrofitted; black and white tile lined the floors and pastel colors adorned walls. There was always music from a decade long passed. It drowned out the noise of the city outside and giving the whole space the feeling of being stuck in time. Despite the aesthetic, even they had joined in the festivities, decorating the booths and walls with things from every possible winter holiday.

 

“Her dad told me something she had always wanted as a present before we left at Thanksgiving, but now I can’t remember it.” Carmilla snarled. She let her neck go slack, allowing her head flop to down onto the table. Auditory grumbling to herself about her terrible memory soon followed. 

 

Lafontaine patted her head and shook their own at her. _She’s so_ _whipped_ , they thought with a tired smile. 

 

They had been victim to an incredibly strenuous day and were struggling to keep their eyes open, let alone help their struggling friend. Ever since the supervisors had given their team a grant for research, there hadn’t been a day that wasn't spent working overtime at the lab. The tasks were long and tedious, but every result pushed their team closer towards their end goal. Unlike her brooding friend, Lafontaine was actually quite a fan of the holidays. They had decided to treat themselves to Christmas and New Years as vacation time. Even lab rats need to get some fresh, unpurified air sometimes.

 

“Well, has there been anything she’s been mentioning that she wanted? Perry had been saying that she missed having me around so I’m surprising her with my vacation time.” Lafontaine offered. Carmilla grunted in acknowledgment, only to continued scribbling on whatever blank space she had left on the page.

 

Their regular waitress, Marcy, walked over towards their table and placed down their respective dishes. Lafontaine ordered huevos rancheros and Carmilla ordered eggs, toast, and homefries. The two of them took the concept of a regular customer to the extreme; they sat down and with time, Marcy would bring their food. It was easy to do, as they ordered the same thing every time they came.

 

“Thanks Marcy, you’re the best.” Lafontaine said and Marcy beamed. She was a deceivingly powerful woman in her mid sixties. Her salt and pepper hair was always pulled back in a tight ponytail, and if you didn’t know how much of a softie she was, you’d be terrified to approach her. Marcy was full of love, but a tough and gritty brand. She had given them a stern talking to for showing up to her establishment intoxicated, an event that felt like forever ago now. But she still sat them down and helped them sober up before calling them a taxi cab home. Ever since then, Marcy had been there to act as another mom to the entire friend group.  

 

“Hey sourpuss, what’s with the face?” Marcy said to Carmilla. She noticed how Lafontaine scrambled to begin their meal while the dark haired girl continued to brood.

 

“I’m trying to think of a Christmas gift for Laura. Her dad told me something but I can’t remember it for the life of me.” Carmilla grumbled, putting aside her pencil to pick up a piece of toast. Marcy knew all about Laura, especially because Carm had a bit of a habit of rambling about her while she was drunk.

 

“What about something for one of her hobbies? Doesn’t she do yoga or something?” Marcy offered before wandering back off to wait on the other tables. Carmilla’s frowned deepened before she took a bite of her toast. Lafontaine was almost halfway through their dinner while the pale girl had barely touched hers. Thinking on an empty stomach would be even more challenging than it was now, so she figured she should start eating, or else she’d get an earful from Lafontaine. 

 

On the cab ride home, Carmilla received a video of Laura singing  _ Santa Baby _ with such feeling it would make Eartha Kitt applaud in her honor and made the dark haired girl fear for her own wallet. She watched the clip loop, allowing herself to get lost in the sound of her girlfriend's voice and to wonder when exactly she started falling in love with her. 

     People say they fall in love all sorts of ways. For some it’s like falling asleep or jumping off a diving board. But there was no one point for Carmilla, no singular moment of sudden shock or realization that startled her. If anything, it was soft and steady like the heartbeat Laura loved to listen to every night. And yet, in a similar form, it was tumbling and passionate as the ocean, with waves coursing high into the clouds and then crashing down into the infinite waters. It was impossible to tell exactly when their love started and where their love will end. That was a location that she never wanted to find.

 

Carmilla tipped the cab driver well--a habit Perry was quick to start--and made her way back up into her apartment. Upon opening the door, Mattie scampered over towards her and began whining. The small black cat rubbed up against her leg and fell back into the routine of following her around. Mattie had always acted as Carmilla’s shadow, something the girl’s instinctual cat-like nature only aided. The video of Laura singing replayed in Carmilla’s mind, and she found herself unable to stop the smile that tugged at her lips. Not even cleaning out the litter box could dampen her spirit, leaving her grinning through the rest of her nightly routine. Once she was thoroughly clean and relaxed, Carmilla retreated over to her work desk. The surface was normally cluttered with half finished commissions and todo lists. 

 

Yet in a pleasant turn of events, everything was in order. 

 

Carmilla’s desk was one of her favorite places to work; on the walls there were images for inspiration, comfort, and some of her older art projects. She found herself fondly smiling at the little colorful paw prints tracked across a piece of canvas. When Carmilla first adopted Mattie, Carmilla had been painting when the kitten walked through the pallet. The artist only noticed when she saw part of the piece she was working on was now covered in animal tracks. When someone disrupted her work, Carmilla would become hostile. Yet instead of becoming irate at the little kitten, she found herself charmed as she watched the creation of new art in a trail of paw prints.

 

The imaginary light bulb above Carmilla’s head flickered to life with the thought that had been escaping her. She scrambled back towards the bed to grab her laptop. She bounded back towards the desk and sat down in her chair, the laptop clattering down onto the surface. A couple of google searches and frantic phone calls later, Carmilla had a grin so wide her cheeks ached. Her usual outlet of expressing herself was art, so she reached for her markers. However, the paper seemed too flat for how alive she felt, so she picked the next best canvas: her body. Her excitement bubbled inside of her and she couldn’t help but sing as she began to doodle on her skin.

 

“ _ I’m dreaming of a white Christmas _ ,” The lyrics flowed out of her lips with an ease she would never admit to. “ _ Just like the ones I used to know _ .” One Christmas song became another as she began detailing a new forearm decoration. 

 

~~~

 

When Laura finally came home, the clock read a time closer towards the wee hours of the morning. She had been extra cautious of noise to avoid waking her panther of a girlfriend. She removed the disorderly portions of her outfit, making sure to leave her shoes at the door. When she padded into their room, she deduced that Carmilla attempted to wait up for her using the evidence. Her girlfriend’s body was curled around Laura’s yellow pillow, and the room was lit up like a christmas tree. Laura just chuckled to herself, biting her bottom lip to keep any extra sound from escaping.

 

She wandered over to their dresser and began to strip out of her work clothes, tossing them in the hamper that resided in the corner. She slipped into a clean pair of underwear and an oversized shirt, making sure she promised herself that to shower in the morning. Tonight was inching closer to tomorrow at a pace too quickly for Laura to fit both a shower and a goodnight’s sleep into her schedule. Besides, Carmilla always looked particularly adorable while she slept, and Laura’s willpower was non existent. As she walked over towards the lamps to turn then off, the shorter girl finally noticed the drawing that had appeared on her forearm.

 

Her typical work outfit consisted of a long sleeve blouse, so the design was a pleasant surprise. Her skin was now adorned with a kitten lounging on the moon, gazing out at the stars. It was a simple line drawing, but Laura felt her heart swelling at the gesture. The was the illustration was designed to use the few freckles Laura had on her arms. Carmilla was so fond of her girlfriend that she had taken the time to memorize the location of her freckles. 

 

An old saying popped into Laura's mind: “If you fall in love with a writer, you can never die.” But the more she thought to herself, she realized the phrase wasn’t quite finished there. Because when you fall in love with an artist, they’ll recreate your world into one you’ll want to live forever in.

 

A smile graced her lips. My, how she loved her beloved artist.

  
  


~~~

 

When Laura opened her eyes on Christmas morning, an empty bed was not the first thing she expected to see. That fact didn’t concern her though, so she sat up and stretched before climbing out of bed. She wandered back towards their dresser, stepping around the clothes strewn on the floor from last night, and grabbed a pair of clean underwear. She slipped them on and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Laura was covered in hickeys, bite marks, and scratches to such a degree she found herself thankful for that she did have to bundle up in the cold weather. She quickly put her hair up into a messy bun before rummaging around in the drawers before producing her favorite red flannel. And by her favorite flannel, that means Carmilla’s prized flannel that she always stole for herself.

 

“Oh, you’re up.” Startled, she spun around to see her girlfriend peeking into the room from the door frame. Laura observed the little water droplets in Carmilla’s hair left by melting snow and how having flushed cheeks and a red nose made her look adorable. The dark haired girl had on a black beanie, a scarf draped around her neck, and her thick rimmed retro glasses. They were a favorite of Laura’s, as she loved the way the the curved frame accented the sharpness of Carmilla’s jaw. Despite the rest of her appearance being hidden behind the door, Laura had heart eyes.

 

“Yeah, figured I’d go make myself some hot chocolate and try to find my mysterious girlfriend.” The shorter girl sauntered over to her frostbitten lover and wrapped her arms around her neck. Carmilla looked even more gorgeous up close with that signature smirk, and Laura just had to lean in and kiss her right then and there. She was more than smitten. When they finally pulled away, the flush on Carm’s face had deepened and Laura felt herself blushing in tandem, “Merry Christmas, Carm.”

 

“Merry Christmas, Laura.” Carmilla replied, and for the first time in years she truly felt that there was something to be merry about. That something was very small and had required her to slip out of bed early that morning, but the broody girl knew that trudging through the snow and cold was more than worth it. “Hey babe, can you wait in here? I made some hot chocolate and I left it in the kitchen. I’ll come bring it and then we can snuggle?”

 

“Now you’re talking.” Laura said with a chuckle, giving Carmilla a quick peck on the cheek before going to sit back down on the bed. The taller girl just winked and walked out of the room, making certain to keep the door open. Laura was, as per usual, completely oblivious to the surprise that Carmilla had in store for her.

 

Laura waited patiently, looking around the room until she decided to lean backwards and rest lying down. Carmilla wasn’t taking a long time, but it was before nine in the morning on one of her favorite holidays, so she deserved to treat herself to some relaxation. Laura decided to close her eyes and let herself slip into a meditative state. She was slowly slipping towards falling asleep when a jingling noise disrupted the silence. Her eyelids flickered open as a mix of confusion and curiosity started to set in. She slowly sat up, turned towards the door, and started to squeal.

 

Bounding in through the door frame was a tiny black and white marbled lab puppy. The dog couldn’t have been more than 6 weeks old. At the noise she made, the little ball of fluff began to bark back in a pitch that matched. Laura scrambled out of the bed at a frightening pace to join the puppy on the floor, scooping her up and snuggling her close.

 

“I see you’ve found your present?” Laura looked up to find Carmilla leaning against the threshold of their bedroom. The smaller girl had a smile so wide it ached and a small fountain of happy puddles welling up in her eyes. She put the puppy down only to jump up and tackle her girlfriend in a hug so firm it almost knocked the wind out of Carmilla. The tears of joy began to flow and Carmilla just held Laura close, taking in the moment and listening to the scampering puppy running around their legs.

 

“How? How did you know I wanted a puppy and have wanted one since I was a child I don’t understand it’s like you can read minds or something or have some kind of supernatural powers-” Laura started to ramble and Carmilla just cut her off with a chaste kiss before stepping away to pick up the little furry bundle of energy.

 

“Remember when we were leaving after Thanksgiving? Well, earlier your dad told me the story of you always begging for a puppy for Christmas. And when we were just about to leave he added that you wanted a lab, and had a soft spot for, well, spots.” Carmilla said with a chuckle. She bent down to scoop up the puppy and nuzzle it gently, “And so I figured that I would make that come true.”

 

“So, so this puppy is for me?” Laura whispered as she tentatively reached out towards the puppy cradled in Carmilla’s arms. The taller girl happily surrendered the dog and watched as she gleefully curled up in her girlfriend’s arms.

 

“Yeah, I bought you a puppy. She’s already been introduced to Mattie and they seem to get along quite well. All that’s left is a name.”

 

Laura studied the puppy in her arms. Her face was black and the rest of her body was majority white. She had soft forgiving eyes and an adorable dark nose, and Laura already knew she had fallen in love with this dog.

 

“Winnie. I want to name her Winnie.” Laura stated, her gaze drifting north to look for Carmilla’s approval. Her eyes were met with a mile wide grin and a nod in response. Laura put the puppy down and closed the little distance between their bodies to kiss her girlfriend once again. Carmilla’s hands came up to cup Laura’s cheeks as their lips moved at a slow pace together. The kiss was gentle, loving, and it ended with their foreheads resting against each others. Carmilla closed her eyes with a blissful smile on her lips, Laura couldn’t help but wonder if there was a word for an emotion stronger than love. If not, then she would have to create one if she wanted to name how she felt in that moment.

 

The rest of the morning consisted of the prior promised hot chocolate, playing with Mattie and Winnie, and making phone calls to all those held dear. Perry and Lafontaine had gone on a quick getaway to somewhere tropical. When they called, Danny and Kirsch were making the drive from Kirsch’s family to Danny’s. Finally, Laura took the time to call her father.

 

Since Laura’s family had hosted for Thanksgiving, Carmilla’s side had offered for Christmas. The festivities in the Karnstein house wouldn’t be started till later in the evening, so the two lovebirds had all day to spend with each other. Later that afternoon, post a late lunch of cookies and cocoa, Laura convinced Carmilla to open her gifts.

 

“But you’re all I want for Christmas.” Carm said, her lips turned down into an adorable pout. Laura giggled and dragged her over towards the tiny fake tree they had set up in their apartment. Even though she had gotten Laura a puppy, Carmilla had only had one last gift up her sleeve for Laura that she would reveal before they left for her mother’s.

 

Carmilla had long abandoned her beanie and was wrapped up in sweatpants and one of Laura’s sweatshirts. Laura, on the other hand, was still wearing her girlfriend’s flannel, but had slipped on a pair of pajama pants to warm up a little. Carmilla hadn’t taken her eyes off the girl with carmel hair all morning, and wasn’t planning to start now. There was no single moment of falling in love for either of them, but Carmilla swore every second she fell more in love. The fullness of her heart was enough to make her dizzy, but she didn’t mind because she knew that Laura would be there to catch her. The dark haired girl sat down on the floor and paid attention to the puppy that bounded over to her as she watched Laura pick up the presents. 

 

“Okay, this isn’t fair. Why did you get me so many things?” Carm whined, feeling as though she hadn’t done enough for the girl she was so enamored with. Laura had placed a pile of gifts in her lap, the size of which made Carmilla question how she hadn’t noticed them under the tree.

 

“Carm, you bought me a puppy.” Was all Laura said before instructing the taller girl which present to open first. The gifts ranged from the practical to the humorous to the down right breathtaking. Carmilla had taken her time, inspecting each unwrapped gift and thanking her girlfriend with kisses and hugs after each one. For once, she finally understood why people loved Christmas because of what it’s like to be with someone you love. Plus, all of the gifts weren’t too bad either. There was only one box left, and Laura had a hesitant look in her eyes as she handed it to Carmilla.

 

The present was a long and slender rectangle, adorned with ribbon tied in a bow. The knot was untangled, the wrapping paper was torn off to reveal a dark red box, and Laura did her best to swallow the lump in her throat. She watched the pale girl run her fingers up the side of the cover before taking it off. When the lid was removed, Carmilla felt all of the air being sucked out of her lungs. Staring back at her was a stunning lace bralet, a matching lace thong, and garter belt with knee high stockings. The entire set was black and Carmilla felt a flush beginning to creep in and warm the apples of her cheeks. She couldn’t resist reaching out and running her fingertips down the silk. The smooth fabric whispered promises of comfort, and the dark color reminded her of how much Laura loved to see her in black. She peered up over the rim of her glasses to see an equally blushed face looking back at her.

 

“Do you like it?” Laura’s voice was soft. A hint of uncertainty floated around in the air between them. The two had always been rather adventurous in terms of their private time, always eager to explore new ways to make the other come undone. But whenever something new was added to the arsenal, it was always something intended for mutual use. Never had one of them purchased something with the specific intention of only one of them using it.

 

“I love it.” Carmilla announced, her head shifting upwards to direct the rest of her attention to Laura. The room around them seemed to buzz with electricity; desire made the fairy lights seem brighter and the space feel warmer. Carmilla put the box down to the side and shuffled over on her knees closer to Laura, planting herself down on top of her girlfriend’s lap. There was a devilish smirk on Carmilla’s lips as she leaned closer, wrapping her arms around Laura’s neck before initiating a fierce kiss. Laura’s arms instantly went to wrap around her girlfriend’s waist, kissing her back with a matching passion. Carmilla moved one hand up to tangle in Laura’s hair, tugging harshly and causing her to whimper. The taller girl then began to pepper kisses up Laura’s jawline. Once she reached the junction at her neck, Carmilla started placing slow, open mouth kisses all along the skin there. She sucked dark blotchy marks all over, completely forgetting that she would be introducing her girlfriend to her family later.

 

Laura moaned and moved her hands grab Carmilla’s ass, eliciting a whimper from the older girl as she bucked her hips, detaching her mouth from Laura’s now purple neck. Upon seeing the full effect of her handiwork, Carmilla couldn’t help the growl that slipped from her lips. It was low and primal, guttural even, and sent a flare of heat down Laura’s body. Just as they were about to lean in and start all over again, an obnoxious high pitched ringtone stopped them in their tracks. The two girls could recognize that sound anywhere. It was shrill and only belonged to one person: Carmilla’s mother. A particular incident, similar to the one they found themselves in, created a need for the woman in question to have her own ring tone. They both groaned before Carmilla got off of Laura’s lap to go scamper back to their bedroom to find her cellphone.

 

“H-Hi mama, Merry Christmas. What’s up?” The taller girl croaked out, her throat hoarse and her heart still hammering. She listened to her mother’s voice over the phone as her gaze drifted back towards her hooded eyed girlfriend. She watched as Laura’s face morphed into that hilarious, bunched up face she makes when she annoyed.

 

“ _ Kitty cat, are you listening to me _ ?” 

 

Her mother’s smooth voice brought Carmilla back to the phone call with only a minor blush on her cheeks. “Yes mama, I’m here.”

 

“ _ Good, because I’m about to ask a favor of you and I need you fully paying attention to make sure you can agree. I’ve come up with a bit of a problem; William’s flight was delayed so he won’t be arriving in early enough to help me cook. I was wondering if you and Laura could come over earlier to take his place _ ?”

 

“Yeah of course, I’ll tell Laura and we can come over to help.” Carmilla confirmed. The shift in her mother’s mood was so dramatic, the taller girl swore she could hear her smiling over the phone.

 

“ _ Excellent! Thank you so much for the help. I can’t wait to finally meet your darling soulmate. See you later my love _ .” Her mother responded. Carmilla told her mother she loved her and hung up the phone, turning around to face a pouty lipped Laura. 

 

Adorable.

 

“Bad news, creampuff. Will’s flight was delayed so my mom needs us to come over and help her cook, which means sexy time has gotta be put on hold.” Laura groaned and deepened her pout, only to have it quickly taken away by Winnie barking. The two of them laughed as Laura picked up the whiny puppy, letting her lick all over her face.

 

“We should probably start getting ready.”

 

~~~

 

An hour and a half later the happy couple emerged from their room, dressed to the nines in the holiday fashion. Laura wore a forest green dress and lovely silver jewelry, (a present from her girlfriend) as accessories. Carmilla wore a blood red dress, something with the likeness of an evening gown. Hidden underneath silky fabric was the brand new garter belt set, contrasting sharply with her pale skin. However, this was a fact only the taller girl knew about, as she had gotten changed while Laura was in the shower. If her girlfriend was going to surprise her by purchasing lingerie, then Carmilla was going to surprise her by wearing it. The two had piled into Laura’s car, a neat and modest stack of presents was secured in the seatbelt of the back seat, sandwiched between the couple’s winter coats. They had to drive out of the city to one of the closer suburbs where Carmilla’s step mother resided.

 

“Wow. That is one hell of a house.” Laura remarked as they pulled up in front of the location of their Christmas dinner. The car engined whirled softly, struggling to keep up with the amount of heat that was being demanded from the passengers. The ride had been around an hour, but that was enough time to blush the cheeks of the girls to the level that appeared after two glasses of wine. Now that the car had come to a stop, the view behind the windshield sucked the warmth from Laura’s cheeks. A white colonial mansion rose up from the snow, intimidating in stature with the appearance that it had been created from the snow. A sculpted a castle of ice only softened by the warm glow of the tungsten lights inside. The house reminded Laura a little of her broody girlfriend; sharp and cool on the outside, but gentle and homey inside. It hadn’t taken much for the ice to melt off of Carmilla; hopefully her mother would be the same way.

 

As if sensing her uncertainty, Carmilla placed her hand on top of Laura’s where it rested on the gear shift. Laura began to relax, exhaling a breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding, and looking over into her lover’s reassuring eyes.

 

“She’s gonna love you, cupcake, I promise.” Carmilla whispered, giving Laura’s hand a squeeze before getting out of the car.

 

The honey brown haired girl turned off the car before giving herself the once over in the rearview mirror and stepping outside. The couple quickly retrieved their winter coats and belongings from the back seat, walking up the neatly shoveled pathway to the front door. Carmilla unlocked the door with her own key and ushered Laura inside, shutting the cold outside. Winter boots were exchanged for high heels and parkas were placed on ornate coat hooks. Laura looked around at the lavish foyer that surrounded her with awe. Carmilla watched the most beautiful thing in the room wander, stopping to look at paintings on the wall or the trim of the ceiling. She was so entranced by Laura loitering around the halls that she didn’t even notice her mother coming to stand beside her.

 

“The entrance to this house is what drew me in first. Watching you and William run up and down the grand staircase is one of my fondest memories. It’s a beautiful view.” Her mother’s voice remarked in a hushed tone.

 

“She is.”

 

~~~

 

Laura’s cheeks were as red as the Christmas tree ornaments by the second bottle of wine (she’s always been a lightweight). Will had arrived late as expected, bustling in with presents in arms and snow in his hair. Upon seeing Laura, he developed more than a small interest in the girl who had melted the ice queen’s heart. The four of them had eaten a meal fit for a king and were now roosting around the fireplace as gifts were exchanged. Laura’s heart warmed as she saw how much effort Carmilla and Will put in towards treating their mother. She had been a single parent, raising two complex children, and had done more than fantastically.

 

The fireplace gave the room a soft orange glow and heated the room further, making the once intimidating house feel cozy. However, Laura could’ve sworn the room was on fire from how flushed she felt. Heat burned from her core all the way to her fingertips as she blatantly stared at her stunning girlfriend. The way that blood red dress clung left little of her curves to the imagination, but Laura couldn’t help her thoughts running wild with wonders of how quickly she could take it off. She knew she shouldn’t be so brazen in front of Carmilla’s family, especially when she was so eager to be well liked. Laura’s upbringing had drilled into her that first impressions were very important, and especially those of a soulmate’s parents. Her commitment to a good first impression was challenged earlier when Carmilla had whispered in her ear that she was wearing her gift. They had been alone in the kitchen and Laura almost fucked her on the marble countertop that moment. As she watched her goddess take another long drink of wine, she found herself licking her lips and wishing that she had.

 

“Mom, do you mind if Laura and I stay here tonight? We came in her car and I think it’s too late for us to drive home.” Carmilla asked. There was a glint in her eyes and a subtlety behind her words; a message for Laura’s eyes only. Her mother didn’t need the reason as to why Carmilla wouldn’t drive Laura’s car, so further explanation wasn’t necessary. 

 

“Oh, of course darling. William is set to be staying in the guest room upstairs, but you can have the one on this floor.” Carmilla’s step mother replied with a dazzling smile. The tiny journalist had made quite the impression on her, and she couldn’t help the fondness that was growing inside her chest. Will and Laura had hit it off in an instant, so to meet someone who made both of her children happy was more than a pleasure.

 

Carmilla stood with a practiced elegance and headed over to hug and kiss her mother good night. Laura’s eyes maintained a trained focus on her girlfriend’s body, watching her muscles shift under the silky fabric of her dress. Will had already started dozing off in one of the lavish arm chairs, so Carmilla just turned to Laura and motioned her to follow. Laura rose slowly, not too clouded by alcohol to be uncoordinated on her feet, but her mind was elsewhere. She hugged Lilita goodnight and thanked her for the lovely Christmas. 

 

“Anything for you.” Was all Lilita replied with a genuine smile. The contrast of the curt response to the affection behind the words shocked her. It momentarily tugged Laura out of her lust induced fog as she processed that Carmilla’s mother liked and approved of her. However, a firm hand being placed on her lower back pulled her back under the dark haired girl’s spell. She felt herself struggling to smile back before being guided off.

 

Carmilla’s hand slipped farther towards her hip and south, her grip tightening on Laura’s ass the farther down the hallway they walked.

 

Laura stole a glance up at Carmilla, the taller girl’s high heels exaggerating their height difference, and swallowed the lump in her throat. She didn’t need to have her eyes met to feel the intense passion radiating from them. It made her mouth go dry; flushing her cheeks and pushing all of her desire farther down her body. Normally she wasn’t so submissive. While no one could resist Carmilla’s signature ‘seduction eyes’ and she acts all tough, she was more than happy to be pushed around under Laura’s command. But with every step she took she felt herself giving up more of her control. She began leaning her body into the warmth of her girlfriend’s side as they walked. She’d blame it on the wine or how Carmilla had been looking at her all night like she wanted to devour her. Whatever it was, it left Laura completely malleable to her will. When the couple finally reached the end of the hallway they were met by another extravagant door which opened to reveal and equally swanky bedroom.

 

“Ladies first.” Carmilla purred, her voice seeming to have dropped at least three octaves from when she said goodnight. It sent shivers down Laura’s spine and she obeyed, stepping through the door frame. She turned around, watching her girlfriend step through and shut the door behind her. She walked towards Laura, her pace deliberate. Her hips swayed with each step in a manner that was so sinful the shorter girl felt like she needed to go to confession. All of the sexual frustration from what never was finished earlier that day was finally rising to the surface

 

“Safeword is  _ Tardis _ .” Carmilla whispered when she got close to Laura. She stopped directly in front of the blushing mess in a dark green dress with a mile wide grin. If this was any other time, Carmilla might’ve teased her about looking a bit like a Christmas tree. Laura’s eyes were wide, her mouth slightly agape, and Carmilla couldn’t help feeling maleficent in how she was planning to torture this girl. “Someone couldn’t keep their eyes off of me all night.” 

 

Laura’s cheeks darkened with embarrassment; she knew she hadn’t been discreet in any manner, but she hadn’t realized how obvious she had been. She opened her mouth to speak but Carmilla quickly raised a finger, silencing her before she could start.

 

“Uh-uh princess, you’ll talk when I say you can.” Her tone was teasing but firm, and it sent pins and needles down Laura’s spine. Carmilla reached out, letting her fingertips graze over the shorter girl’s collar bones and exposed skin, reveling in the soft gasp she heard. The gasp quickly shifted to a whine as her fingers meandered lower, outlining the swell of Laura’s breasts, bare skin shown off by a low cut neckline. “I know you purchased the lingerie with the idea of me showing off for you. You love that, don’t you? Knowing everyone’s eyes are looking me over and I’m absorbed in only you.”

 

Laura nodded, her response far more eager and immediate than she would’ve liked it to be. She wished she could masquerade that she had some semblance of control over herself, but she couldn’t manage it. Carmilla’s attention made her hair stand on end; every bit of her presence was magnetic and Laura had no desire to deny her attraction. Those pale flingers wandered up her neck and down her jaw, Carmilla’s hand stopping to cup her girlfriend’s cheek. Her thumb ran over Laura’s bottom lip, rolling it down slightly before withdrawing. The taller girl licked her lips and leaned in, a searing kiss placed on Laura’s lips that was far too short. She whimpered in protest but didn’t speak, prompting the smirk on Carmilla’s face to deepen. She had done what was asked of her.

 

“What a good girl, not speaking out of turn.”

 

Laura’s whole body shuddered as a wave of pleasure washed over her. She shut her eyes tightly, balance wavering as she reached over towards the bed for something to steady herself on. Her heart was doing jumping jacks and she was was breathing like she had just run a marathon. When she opened her eyes Carmilla’s eyes were wide, pupils blown, and her jaw unhinged. Shame began to pool in Laura’s belly, unsure of what was happening or what had just happened. It was quickly shut down by her girlfriend striding over and wrapping a firm arm around her waist. If Carmilla closed her eyes and ignored the pure lust that was driving her brain, she could see herself back in time on the dance floor catching a very drunk Laura in her arms.

 

“Yeah? Does someone want to be a good girl?” Carmilla whispered, her lips leaned up against the shell of Laura’s ear. The smaller girl shivered again, as she let a whine slip from her parted lips. She began pressing herself into Carmilla’s body, her arms wrapped around the taller girl’s waist as she whimpered again. The sound was desperate and the pitch was shrill; it made the dark haired girl wish she could record it and to listen to over and over again. That wasn’t a realistic possibility, unfortunately. She would just have to take matters into her own hands to make the noise loop. 

 

Carmilla’s brain clicked into overdrive. She started kissing Laura with an insatiable hunger, gnawing on her lips and licking into her mouth. Each kiss was so forceful that she could feel her lips starting to swell as the two of them stumbled back onto the bed. Whimpers and moans filled the silence of the room and Carmilla could barely distinguish her own from Laura’s. They struggled pry their lips off of one another, attempting to remove heals without looking at them, and fumbling with the difficult straps. Eventually the shoes would come tumbling off the bed and land with a thud as Carmilla straddled Laura. Her girlfriend had looked good enough to eat all night, and she was finally going to unwrap her Christmas present. But, not without a bit of teasing first. Carmilla got off of Laura and stood up, her back facing the bed as she delicately moved her hair over one shoulder.

 

“Will you be a good girl and undress me, love?” She purred. The moan that Laura responded sent a rush of pleasure through her body. The shorter girl scrambled closer, shaky hands struggling to undo the clasp and zipper of the dark red dress. Eventually the back of the dress fell open to reveal that smooth expanse of ivory skin that Laura loved to worship. Carmilla quickly took the reins again, pushing the dress off her shoulders and down the rest of her body, causing the silky fabric to pool on the floor. She stepped out of it and spun to face Laura, hoping that she looked as sexy as she felt.

 

“Stand up for me, darling.” Carmilla did her best to keep her voice steady, the throbbing between her legs beginning to cloud her thoughts. Laura obeyed quickly and climbed off the bed, standing on a pair of wobbly legs. “Turn around.”

 

Even though she was quick to act, Laura felt Carmilla’s hands being placed on her shoulders, aiding her to move even faster. Despite the original speed that Carmilla had used, she took a snail’s pace when unzipping Laura’s dress, stopping every few moments to kiss the new areas revealed to her as the garment fell away. Her bra and underwear fell away with the dress, leaving her stark naked and trembling.

 

The shorter girl’s desire had left her a mess, and it was evident in the slick sheen of her upper inner thighs. Carmilla reached her hand up between Laura’s legs and she gasped, her knees wobbling, as she struggled to keep herself upright. Her brain had fogged over and she let herself be overtaken by sheer pleasure. It was all too much; the domination, the dress, the words of praise, the lingerie. She was too far gone to speak, if she tried. Carmilla ran her fingertip through the mess that coated Laura’s thighs, tracing patterns against her quivering thighs. She took her hand away and licked off her finger, moaning as the taste of Laura coated her tongue.

 

Suddenly Laura’s back made contact with the bed in a blur of motion. She was not exactly certain how it all happened, but as soon as she saw Carmilla prowling over towards her on top of the soft duvet, she forgot to care. She soon felt hot breath puffing out over her thighs and her legs spread on their own accord. Carmilla’s tongue eagerly dived in, lapping away and indulging in the taste of Laura’s desire. White hot pleasure shot through her brain as she gave in to the manipulations of the older girl. She screamed out Carmilla’s name like it was a hail mary and she was already tumbling down in a free fall. 

 

_ Best. Christmas. Ever _ . Laura thought with a wicked grin, her heart beating so rapidly in her ribcage she thought it would burst. 

 

     It was certainly one she would never forget. 


	17. Cats Can Learn to Swim

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ending back at the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much Nikki for picking up where I left off. My first semester of college got a little bit crazy and i kinda dropped off the face of the Earth, but i'm trying to come back. I hope everyone enjoys the final chapter of this story, it's been a blast to write.

**If** someone asked Carmilla Karnstein what she hated most six years ago, she would’ve told them a very long list of things. It would’ve included things like uneven shoe laces, obligations, dull pencil tips, and the patriarchy. But on the top of that list would be the beach. There was no where else she loathed to go more than that sandy wasteland. It made her feel like a cat that had been thrown into a bath: completely uncomfortable and utterly grumpy. And cats, as far as she’s concerned, don’t like water. She had spent her teenage summers with peeling red skin hiding behind coverups, stuck underneath the shade of the umbrella.

 

Except now, six years later, the beach had been removed from that list. Other things had quickly taken it’s place, but the beach no longer scorned her as it once had. This wasn’t to say she suddenly loved it, or that getting sand in certain places made her jump for joy, but it was no longer a location she loathed to go. When she heard the entire gang was taking a trip to the beach, she felt no need to groan loudly. However, the current weather was testing her patience. The sun was beating down with such intensity that she wondered if SPF 100 was enough to cut it. When they had finally met up with the rest of the clan (Carmilla and Laura had a late start this morning), Perry quickly slapped more sunscreen on Carmilla’s pale body with her classic worried smile. 

 

“Perry, I’m a grown woman. I can put on my own sunscreen. I’m thirty-two, not twelve.” she shot out, her eyebrows furrowed in protest. Perry dismissed her, not even giving Carmilla’s words a second thought as she continued to rub lotion her pale skin. No matter how old she was, the ginger would always be there acting like a mom to her.

 

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I’m sure that’s what you said when Laura put it on your back earlier.” Lafontaine countered, and suddenly Carmilla’s cheeks looked as though she was already sun burnt. The adults of the group burst out laughing as they started to set up all of the beach necessities. Mel rolled her eyes and put on her sunglasses and headphones, more than ready to relax. Even after six years, the African American woman hadn’t changed much. 

 

Danny was quick to sit down on one of the chairs with some help from Kirsch; eager to get off her feet and relax. She leaned back into the recline of the seat with a happy sigh as she watched her soulmate fit the umbrella into the sand. They were expecting again, and Danny had that pregnant glow about her. She was eighteen weeks (or four months) along with the hopes of having a baby girl. The two boys, Aidan and Sebastian, who quickly dragged their father away towards the water were more than enough. The two had been born miraculously nine months apart from each other; Danny often jokes that Kirsch couldn’t keep his hands to himself. People often mistake them to be twins, but they were both already monstrously tall for their age. 

 

It was crazy how long six years flew by; Lafontaine and Perry had gotten married as quickly as possible, being engaged for less than a year. To everyone this was a feat that was unheard of, but if anyone was going to be able to plan and organize a wedding that quickly, it was going to be Lola Perry. Everyone had been a part of the wedding party, and the entirety of the ceremony and party that followed was filled with laughter and happy tears. On the couple’s second year anniversary, they announced to their friends and family that they were expecting twins. Perry was carrying their biological children, as the procedure of creating fertilized eggs with two eggs was common practice in this future. They were so lucky to have achieved so much by science. They had two adorable curly-haired children, a boy named Bailey and his younger sister (by two minutes) named Piper. 

 

Danny and Kirsch had been quick to follow, skipping the traditional ceremony and instead just going to the city judge to legalize the deal. Despite the lack of church bells and, “you may now kiss the bride”, the wedding was still a success. They had a very large reception and everyone danced the night away.

 

Mel was in a very loving relationship with her soulmate of three years, but they weren’t ready to have kids yet. Everyone teased the young woman when she would “jump on the bandwagon” but they were always met with a scoff and an eyeroll. 

 

Carmilla and Laura had been dating for three years when the question was popped. Things didn’t go exactly to plan, as they both attempted to propose to each other at the same time. Carmilla had been using Danny, Kirsch, and Mel as her accomplices, while Laura used Lafontaine and Perry. Because there was no overlap, they each had no way of knowing about the adorable trainwreck that proceeded. Nevertheless, they both said yes, as if there had been any doubt in anyone’s mind that these two were going to get married. After the very disjointed proposal, Laura spotted a disgruntled looking Danny slipping a twenty dollar bill to a smug Lafontaine. When she confronted the two of them afterwards, she was informed that upon their first meeting, Danny and Laf had bet that Carmilla and Laura would get married one day. Laura had just smiled, thankful for once that the ginger mad scientist was always right.

 

Everything had been set up and Carmilla looked out at the kingdom of beach chairs, umbrellas, and sand toys that was scattered out in front of her. She smiled, taking in the view before her before she felt her cheeks beginning to ache; Carmilla had never been happier. 

 

She looked on lovingly as her wife tended to their three-year-old daughter. The tiny creampuff was an excitable bundle of joy named Charlotte Ellia Karnstein. She had her mother’s complexion, with her gorgeous blue eyes and honey blonde hair they kept up in pigtails. Sherman Hollis was amazed at how alike the little girl was to Laura when the young woman was that age. Her nickname was Charlie, as Laura originally wanted a gender neutral name for their child. She didn’t care much for sticking with the stereotypes of what a young girl should like or do, (liking the color pink, Barbie Dolls, or wearing a tutu). She was far too feminist minded as a person to not let that carry over into her parenting. She encouraged Charlie to enjoy whatever she wanted without those gender limitations. After all, you only get to be a child once.

 

Despite all the similarities that Charlie had with Laura, Carmilla saw a lot of herself inside the little one. She was a tomboy, just like her mother had been during her early years. She would only abandon that when she found her love of leather jackets. Carmilla was so proud of her daughter, and her love grew as each day passed. The little cupcake was too smart for her own good. Wiser, more mature than the average three-year-old. Carmilla takes credit because she reads the child stories from philosophers like Camus and Plato as she goes to bed every night, instead of the average fairytales.

(It drove Laura nuts when Charlie would figure out exactly where the cookie jar was, no matter how many different places the young mother hid them; and that’s barely scratching the surface of what the tiny cupcake was capable of). 

 

It was a bonus that the kid wouldn’t shut up--she loved to babble, mixing her ‘r’s’ and her ‘w’s’, but regardless, she caught on quickly.  

It was amazing that people now were able to conceive with merely eggs; gone were the days of have to go through the process of finding a sperm donor or going through an IUI. Scientists started the process with using pigs, and then they made an incredible breakthrough within the last ten years. Two fertile women had the ability to create a child. It made global news. 

 

Charlie was a miracle baby.    

 

She was admiring the veiw of her wife and child so much she hadn’t realized she stepped on their tiny creation, which was supposed to be a sandcastle. 

The tiny toddler looked up at her mother and started bawling. 

“Carm, seriously?” Laura said in exasperation, glaring. 

 

“I swear, it was an accident!” Carmilla threw her arms up, attempting (and failing) to fix the sandcastle.   

 

“Oh darling, don’t cry…” Laura soothes, bringing Charlie onto her lap and rocking her. “Mama was just being a dummy.” 

 

“Nice to know where your loyalties lie, cupcake,” Carmilla mumbled playfully, and bent down on her knee to smile at her daughter. She poked her nose, “I didn’t mean to do that, little cupcake.”  

 

“But now it’s gone!” She wails. “No more home for fishies!”  

 

“I’ll help you make a new sandcastle, I promise. It’ll be an even bigger one,” She then placed a kiss on her daughter’s nose, “I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?” 

 

Hesitant, Charlie nods and wipes her eyes. It was incredible how easily the tiny child could get over a problem, and within seconds, she was back in the sand, babbling about her new creation.  

 

She notices Laura smiling at her. “What?” 

 

“I’m getting a weird sense of deja vu here,” Laura beams, leaning her head on Carmilla’s shoulder. “Didn’t you do the exact thing oh I don’t know, six years ago where you weren’t paying attention and destroyed the sandcastle I was creating?” 

 

“I have absolutely no recollection of that, creampuff.” Carmilla huffs, biting her lip to hide a smile. 

 

“None, huh?” Her soulmate teases, trailing her fingers up Carmilla’s spine. “That’s not what you’ll be saying later tonight, Carm.” 

 

“Shit, Laura,” Carmilla mumbled, cheeks blushing. “I forgot how horney you get during the first trimester of pregnancy.” 

 

“That’s a dollar for the swear jar! No cursing in front of the baby!” Laura warns, patting her growing bulge. They were expecting again. Six months ago, Carmilla had came into their bedroom crying one night because she realized their little girl was growing up, and hated feeling so old about it. She loved Charlie, but she missed having another little baby to look after. After Laura comforted her and admitted she was having these feelings too, they tried again, and thankfully succeeded in conceiving. 

 

Laura was only a month or four weeks pregnant now, and she already had a little bulge because of her small height. (Though Carmilla had her concerns and suspicions as to why she gained so much weight in such little time). They haven’t told their friends yet (just Laura’s father and Carmilla’s mother knew) because it’s been awhile since everyone hung out as a group. It was fate that they all agreed to meet on Carmilla’s and Laura’s six year anniversary. 

 

Six years ago on this same date in July, Carmilla was twenty-six and Laura was twenty-three. It’s amazing how much time passed. Before, they were helpless young adults, struggling to get by in life. 

And now, they were mothers. 

 

Amazing. 

“My sincerest apologies, even littler creampuff,” Carmilla murmured, rubbing Laura’s belly and placing a gentle kiss just above Laura’s belly button. She then heard Laura sniffle, and glanced at her, “Hey. Are you okay?” 

 

“I’m fine, Carm,” Laura smiles, “I just can’t believe we get to do this again. I love that our children get to be biologically yours. It makes me so happy.”

 

“I’m happy too,” Carmilla then situates herself so that Laura is sitting on her lap, and she has her arms wrapped around Laura’s belly. Here, she has a perfect view of her daughter playing in the sand, and of Kirsch and his boys goofing around in the water. 

 

She would never admit it to anyone, but this was her happy place. She loved the beach. The sea, the sand, the sun. The way Laura’s smile brightened her entire face. They way her daughter’s laugh always filled her with joy. 

 

“So how’re yah feeling? Physically, I mean.” Carmilla asks, resting her head on Laura’s shoulder. 

 

“My breasts are really tender,” Laura mumbles, “I’m tired, and nauseous.” She then pats her belly, “I’m also really hungry.” She gives Carm a pleading look. 

 

“And now I regret I said anything,” She rolls her eyes, “Alright, what do you want from the cooler?” 

 

“Chips and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich please?” 

 

“You hate jelly.” 

 

           “The baby wants it! Go get it!” 

 

Carmilla groans. Laura could be very demanding when she wants to. 

 

She sits up, careful not to jostle Laura or kick sand in Charlie’s face. She catches eyes with Perry, who has an odd mix of confusion and suspicion on her face. 

 

“You two are awfully cuddly today,” She begins, raising an eyebrow. Her two little munchkins, Bailey and Piper, are fast asleep on a blanket next to Lafontaine, who was focused on their alchemy book until they glanced at their wife. “Is there anything that you’d like to tell me?” 

 

Lafontaine grins, “You know you can never hide anything from Perr, Carmilla. She’s got the eyes of a hawk.” 

 

“Not to mention Laura’s face is looking a little green. If she was sick, why did you urge her to come out on a hot day in July?” 

 

“Listen, Curly. I tried convincing my wife to stay in but she’s a stubborn ass,” Carmilla says fondly, “Everything is fine. You’d be the first to know.” 

 

Perry narrows her eyes. “I already know.” 

 

Holy heck, she forgot how good this woman was at detecting lies.  

Her friend smiled lovingly and leaned over to grasp Carmilla’s hand, “Congratulations, my love. I know you and Laura were struggling to conceive. I’m very happy for you both.” 

 

Carmilla smiled back, tears glistening in her eyes. The sheer fact that they were able to make another baby together weighed on her heart, and she hid her mouth behind her hand so no one would see her lose it. “T-thank you, Perr.” 

 

“You’re welcome, Carm.” She winks, and Carmilla swallowed thickly. 

 

“Take it easy, Elvira. In and out.” Lafontaine beams in growing playfulness, making a gesture with their hands to remember to breathe. 

 

“We just found out this morning. It was why we were late coming here. I-I argued with Laura and urged her to stay in and rest, we could always reschedule, but she wanted to be out for our anniversary.” 

 

“Yeah, cancelling last minute on a beach trip we’ve planned for weeks would be more suspicious,” Mel pipes up, taking off her sunglasses for a moment, “Congrats by the way, loser.” 

 

“Ah, shit. My wife is going to kill me since you all know because I spilled the news.” Carmilla grumbled. 

 

“We’ll pretend to be excited,” Danny yawns, stretching her tired limbs as she woke up from her nap. She placed a comfortable hand on her swollen belly. “Wait, what’s the news?” 

 

“Laura’s pre--,” LaF starts, but Carmilla glares at them. 

 

“Not a word, Ginger #2 or I will feed your hand to the anglerfish,” LaF snickered, making a ‘zip-the-lip’ motion with their hands and shares a loving smile with Perry. She then flipped them the middle finger as she walked over to the cooler, and picked up Laura’s request. She then smiled at Danny, who was stretching and struggled to stand up. “Let me help ya, Big Red.” Carmilla laughs, holding onto her friend. 

 

“I see my boys bounding toward us, I need to be emotionally and physically ready for this.” Danny grumbled, shaking her head. “I adore Aidan and Sebastian but hell they are a handful.” 

 

“How’s the little one?” Carmilla beams, patting Danny’s stomach. Ever since she had to take care of Laura while she was pregnant with Charlie, she’s always had a soft spot for pregnant humans. If she spotted anyone struggling to open the door or pick up groceries, or having trouble taking care of their kid with a bump getting in the way, Carmilla wouldn’t hesitate to assist. If Laura was with her, she would tease her about it for days. 

 

“Doing well. She’s been fluttering around a lot,” Danny says happily, “We’ll find out the gender this week, but I’m sure it’s a girl this time.” 

 

Carmilla hums, pausing for a moment to feel the little one. They moved against her hand as she sang to them. She also took this moment to soak in the world around her, and realized that she finally felt at peace. She had an amazing group of friends she was certain would last a lifetime, a loving wife, an adorable little girl, and another munchkin on the way. 

 

There was absolutely nothing that could ruin this moment. 

 

“Daaaad! Sebastian just pushed me!” Aidan, the youngest boy, exclaimed. 

 

“You stole my boogie board and threw it into the water!” Sebastian claimed with malice. 

 

“Yeah, well you destroyed my sandcastle!” 

 

“It was a stupid sandcastle!” 

 

“You’re a stupid sandcastle!” 

 

“That doesn’t even make sense!” 

 

Except for… that. 

 

Carmilla groans and eyes her friend, who looks like he’s been pulled through the wringer. The poor dude’s hair was all sandy and matted, his face was burnt from the sun, and he struggled to keep both boys at arm’s length away from each other. 

 

“Heaven help me,” Danny pinches the tip of her nose, and shakes her head, “Aidan and Sebastian Lawrence-Kirsch, we do not call each other stupid in this family! Apologize to each other!” 

 

“He started it!” Aidan wails, pointing to his younger brother. 

 

“Did not!” 

 

“Did too!” 

 

“Bros, please,” Kirsch sighs, gripping both of their shoulders, “Can’t you reconcile for your mother’s sake? And for mine? I know we’re all very tired and sunburnt, but arguing isn’t going to help.” 

 

“If you two don’t girl the hell up, no ice cream on the way home.” Danny warns, and Carmilla lets out a whistle. 

 

“Better listen to your mother, little creampuffs.” She grins, and rubs her hand through both of their ginger hair. 

 

“I am never having kids.” Mel utters softly to herself. “All they do is cry when they poop and then poop when they cry.” 

 

“That’s what I said until Laura convinced me otherwise.” Carmilla winks. 

 

“Yeah, but you’re whipped as fuck and anything she says is the word of God.” 

 

“Ah. Shit, you’re right.” The young mother says without shame. “I regret nothing.” 

 

Laura turned her head and gave her soulmate an adorable pout, “Carm! I’m really hungry and you’ve taken forever! What’s the hold up? Feed me!” 

 

“Still regret nothing?” Mel snickered. 

 

“Shut your mouth.” She flips her the middle finger, and hurries towards Laura. She lets out a content sigh as she hands her wife the snacks and she happily accepts them. Their little girl was resting on Laura’s lap now, and Carmilla gently picked Charlie up so she can lay comfortably on hers instead.  

 

She gently traced her fingers on Charlie’s adorable button nose, her lips, her cheeks. 

 

Nope. Never regretting this. 

 

  “You okay, Carm?” Laura soothes, and Carmilla noticed that a tear fell down her face. 

 

              “I’m fine, love,” She chuckles, “I’m so happy.” 

  “I love you.” Laura beams, giving her a languid kiss. 

 

             “I love you too, cupcake.” She sighs, and then looks behind her at her friends. “Hey. I think we should tell them.” 

               “Oh, yay! I’ll get out the present.” Laura exclaims, patting Charlie on her head before running towards their large beach bag. Carmilla chuckles and sits up, cradling her daughter in her hands as Laura turns to address their large group of friends. “Alright, may I uh… may I have everyone’s attention?” 

 

            Bailey and Piper woke up from their nap, groggily saying hello to their aunt. Everyone smiled and shared knowing looks, focusing their gaze on the mother-to-be. 

 

        “So, as all of you know, um. Carm and I met on this day, six years ago. I was with Danny, Mel, and Kirsch while my soulmate came with Lafontaine and Perry. Had we not bumped into each other I would have probably never found my soulmate and you all would have never met. And I look at all of you now… it’s like we were always meant to end up together, one way or another. Carm and I are so blessed to call every one of you are friends and that we now get to share this crazy thing called life together. I can’t imagine sharing it with anyone else,” At this, a quiet sob escaped Laura, and Carmilla grasped her shoulder, smiling widely. 

 

             “I love you, Aunt Laura!” Piper exclaims, an adorable smile on her face. Bailey nods enthusiastically, giving her a thumb up, cueing everyone in knowing laughter.    

 

            “I love you too, darling,” Laura cooes, beaming at her, “So. Thank you for being patient with us this morning, because Carm and I have a special announcement to make. We hated keeping this secret from you, as it was a struggle to make it happen at all. But now that we know for certain… we can give you this.” Taking a deep breath, Laura handed a small box over to her best friend, Danny, and her eyes glistened with tears.   

 

              “Oh my god, Lau…” Danny breathes, grasping the box in her hands. “Is this what I think…” She didn’t say anything more, as an excited squeal escaped her lips, and tore the box open. Inside was a pacifier and a pregnancy test that read “positive”. “You’re pregnant again!” 

         “There’s a little bun in the oven.” Carmilla laughs tearfully, shifting Charlie over to one hand so she could pat Laura’s stomach. 

 

            “Charlie’s going to be a big sister!” Bailey exclaims, running over to Carmilla and engulfing her legs into a hug. 

 

       “That’s right, kiddo.” The young mother smiled, kissing their hair. 

          Aidan tilts his head questioningly, “Mom, if they’re both girls, how did the baby get in there? Where did it come from?” 

 

              Danny’s face paled. “Uh, that’s a story for when you’re a little older, son.” 

 

  “Aw come on, mom!”  

            “Hey meat-head, I know how the baby got in there.” Sebastian grins, and at his brother’s excited face, he leaned over and whispered something into his ear. Carmilla watched with amusement as the poor boy’s face turned from eagerness to disgust, and pretended to throw up into the sand.  

 

             “Sebastian Kirsch-Lawrence,  _ what  _ did you say to your brother?!” Danny shrieks. 

 

  “Hoo boy…” Kirsch mumbles, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

 

                 Lafontaine shook their head at the dysfunctional family and came over to hug Laura. “Congrats, L. I’m really happy for you. Perry kind of already knew so that wasn’t a shock to me.” They grin, winking at Carmilla. 

 

             “I figured,” Laura laughs, “That woman is a human lie detector.”  

 

  “Nice going, Hollis. Maybe next time I’ll be the godmother for this little one, eh?” Mel grins, pulling her friend into a hug. 

 

      “Real smooth, Callis.” Carmilla grumbles at her, handing Charlie to Laura so she could properly hug Mel too. 

 

           That… was a mistake. An evil smirk spread across Mel’s face as she gripped at Carmilla’s shoulders, “Hey, Karnstein… you haven’t gone in the water yet and we’ve been here for a whole day.” 

 

         Oh no… 

 

 “Mel, I swear to fucking God…” 

 

                “CAN’T HIDE FROM THE WATER FOR LONG, KARNSTEIN!” With surprising strength, Mel picked up Carmilla and carried her over her shoulder towards the shore. 

 

             “Laura! Babe! Love of my life! Help me, I’m being abducted by a demented, angry elf!” 

         “Just as long as you come back for dinner, darling!”  

“I thought you loved me!” Carmilla’s yell came out as a garbled mess, as she was slumped over Mel’s shoulder. It must have looked strange, a tiny woman being carried by an even smaller one, but this was their friendship, oddly enough. Mel and Carmilla were two very independent, strong woman who can easily fend for themselves. They had the same morals, the same values, and put family in the forefront of their life. Because they had so many similarities, they were both very competitive with each other. No mushy feelings were ever exchanged between the two women, but that was alright. Anyone could see from a mile away they cared deeply for one another. 

 

       “You fucking bitch!” Carmilla screeches, but her yell was silenced by the crushing waves when Mel threw her in. 

 

 Yup. They really loved each other. 

 

                 Mel cackled. “Oh being evil is fun.” 

 

    As Carmilla found herself underwater, she took the few seconds she had to appreciate the clear, crystal blue sea. They were lucky to find a beach that wasn’t so polluted or spoiled by the lazy humans that visited. The beach had a “bring your garbage out of the park” rule, and that kept the sea a little cleaner. It wasn’t by much, but it was a start.   

 

       Everything underneath here looked so calm and beautiful. How come she never took the time to appreciate the beauty before? The coral reef was a sight to behold, with all the sea life swimming around. She wished she had a waterproof camera to take pictures. 

 

      The waves pushed her back above water and she gasped for air, searching for her friend. Mel chuckles and holds onto her, before Carmilla grumbled and pulled her underwater in an act of revenge. 

 

~~~

 

        “Those two…” Laura said with a smile, and gently patted her stomach. “You’re going to be a big sister, Charlie. Are you excited, love?” 

 

      “Yah! I’m going to be their best fwiend! Can you have a girl, pwetty please?” 

 

      “It doesn’t work that way, my precious darling.” Laura giggles, rubbing noses with her. She had just woken up from her nap and was a bundle of energy, squirming around in her embrace. “As long as the baby’s happy and healthy, that’s all we care about.” 

            “Why can’t they come out  _ now _ ?” Charlie whines. 

 

    “Because the baby needs to grow in here, first.” The mother soothes, smiling as Charlie places her tiny hand on her bulge. 

 

        Laura’s heart swelled as Charlie cupped her adorable little hands and her mouth on her belly, and eagerly shouts, “Hello, baby!” 

 

     “Oh god, that’s so cute.” She looked up to see Mel’s enamoured face, and smiled at her old roommate. Laura knows of her secret fondness for kids, but determined to keep her rough exterior, Mel refuses to admit it outloud. She makes an excellent babysister whenever Carm and Laura want to have a date night. 

 

         “Second guessing having a baby now, are ya?” Laura smirks. 

 

 “S-shut up.” She grumbles, and stalks over towards her reclining chair. 

                 Laura then looks up to see her wife, all drenched and annoyed just like a feline would be. What a grumpy cat.  

 

        “Hey.” She smiles. 

 

  Carmilla’s rough demeanor softens, her shoulders slumped, and an adorable blush tinted her cheeks. “Hey.” 

 

            “Welcome back. Enjoy your swim?” 

 

   Carmilla grunts and reaches out to engulf her little family in a hug, when her daughter feebly pushed her away. 

 

         “Ew, mama! You’re all wet and stinky! Go dry or no hugs!” Their group of friends all laughed good naturedly. 

 

  “Denied hugs by my daughter… my own flesh and blood… what madness is this? Oh, I am wounded!” Carmilla was a little bit delirious. 

 

               “Stop being so dramatic and get a towel, love.” Laura rolls her eyes. 

       Carmilla grumbles and goes into their beach bag so she could dry off and get the sand out of her ears. 

 

          The rest of the day went on without any quarrel, (aside from Aidan and Sebastian’s casual sparring about who is the alpha twin, there was nothing holding the gang from celebrating Laura’s and Carmilla’s special day). And they all ended the evening by going on the boardwalk and to the carnival. The kiddos fueled up on candy and carbonated drinks, while the adults wearily dragged their tails to keep up with them. Bailey, Piper, Aidan, and Sebastian were all a force to be reckoned with once they’ve surpassed their natural sugar intake. Charlie’s little body was thankfully too young to join in on the madness, as she passed out in her stroller the whole time. 

 

         All in all, a good day. Another day in paradise. 

 

   “Hey,” Carmilla said gently, nudging her soulmate. Laura jolted awake with a snort, blinking several times to regain her bearings. “We’re here, darling.” 

 

             “I hadn’t even realized we left the beach. Has it really been an hour?” She yawns. 

 

   “You needed your rest.” Carmilla soothes. 

 

          Laura reaches over to cup her reddened face from the sun, and winced. “You got really burnt, my love. Let’s get inside quickly to take care of you.” 

 

            “I’m alright, I’m more concerned about you and the baby.” 

 

   “I’m… just feeling nauseous still, but that’s just the baby’s way of saying ‘hello’. I’m so glad we took that pregnancy test this morning.” 

 

            Carmilla hums and shuts the car, coming over to assist her wife and their little girl. They would worry about all the luggage in the morning. 

 

      Charlie was washed up first (it was amazing how easily that kid could fall asleep through anything) and glad that she was now squeaky clean, Laura tucked her in bed. She let out a peaceful sigh. 

 

      “One day you’ll find a soulmate of your own. I can feel it in my heart they’re out there for you. My only wish is that they care for you with all the love and happiness that you deserve, Charlotte Ellia.” The little child leaned into her gentle touch, and Laura lovingly kissed her nose. “You are such a lucky duck.” 

 

               Laura Hollis, twenty-nine years old, journalist, and cookie extraordinaire, now a mother. Who would have thought.   

         Laura was close to giving up on her soulmate when she started nearing her twenties. All of her friends had already found theirs, and even though it was nice that Danny had found her love, Laura couldn’t help but feel a little lonely. Her father lived a lonely life--and she feared she would one day follow in his footsteps. 

 

   Then came along Carmilla. Beautiful, confident, sexy Carmilla Karnstein. A total badass gal but with a soft, gooey underbelly. A gal who had Laura wrapped around her finger right from when she ruined her sandcastle.   

    It was a strange beginning, but oh, it made for a great story. 

 

            Laura let out a breath as she heard the water running in their bathroom, and gently pushed the door open. She smiled at her soulmate who had already stripped herself, and was about to step into the shower. 

 

         “Love, you’re wearing far too much for the bathroom.” She said with great cheek, and easily strolled up to her. 

 

          “What are you waiting for?” Laura grins, and turns around so Carmilla could unhook her bikini.  

 

         “Not being able to touch you all day was unbearable,” She husks, cupping Laura’s breasts as the top fell onto the floor. Laura blushed wildly as she squeezed them underneath her palms, and noticed in the mirror that Carmilla’s eyes narrowed into slits. “All this skin… on display just for me… and I had to keep my hands to myself…” 

 

         Laura rolls her eyes, “I swear to god, you’re just like a horney teenager sometimes.” 

 

           “Is it wrong of me to appreciate true beauty, my dearest love?” Laura lets out a heavenly sigh and leans into her embrace. God. Whenever Carmilla tells her these kind of things, it puts her heart into a tizzy, and she can’t focus on anything else. 

 

    “I am in love with no one, and never shall, unless it should forever be with you.” Carmilla whispers, slipping off the bottom of Laura’s bikini, and now her skin in completely bare. Laura’s heart beats rapidly against her ribcage as Carmilla’s hands slowly trailed down her body. They rest easily on her ass, threatening to dive even deeper. Heat pooled in her stomach as an almost animalistic urge comes over her. 

 

          Laura turns around, cupping Carmilla’s cheeks, “You are the axis that my world turns on.” 

 

          Their lips finally crash together, in a frenzied, heavy kiss. 

 

   Laura pushed into Carmilla with such force that they both stumbled into the shower, and with a nervous huff, Laura shut the door tight to make sure neither of them fell out. Normally, Laura enjoyed being submissive. She loved it when Carmilla took control of her, mapping out every crevice of her body. Making her so in awe of their love that after screaming out Carmilla’s name to the heavens, she was stunned into silence. 

 

     She loved it when Carmilla’s touches were gentle, loving. 

 

        But not tonight. 

 

She wanted to give Carmilla a little taste of her own medicine. 

 

              “You’re not allowed to touch me until I say you can,” Laura grins, and Carmilla lets out a desperate, needy whine. “Grab onto the loofa.” She watched Carmilla gulp and do so, holding it behind her back. 

 

            Laura didn’t hesitate as she started peppering kisses down Carmilla’s neck, then on her shoulders, while her hands cupped her breasts. Her nipples hardened under Laura’s touch, and the mother-to-be gently grazed it with her finger. 

 

        “Fuck… Laura, please…” Carmilla huffed, staring at her with lustful eyes. 

 

 “Hmm? What do you want, Carm?” 

 

              “I need you inside me, Laura. I’ve been craving you all day.” She whimpers. 

 

    Her plea was so honest and genuine that it almost made Laura cave. But she had to keep a brave face and go through with this, or else the reward wouldn’t be that sweet. 

 

   Smirking, Laura leaned in to place a teasing kiss on her jawline, “Be a good girl and cooperate with me. Can you do that?”  

 

           Carmilla swallowed quickly and nodded. 

 

  Laura let out a sigh of relief. Taking that as an okay sign to move forward, the young mother dangled her lips on Carmilla’s nipple, not exactly sucking on it. Teasing her. Testing her. Then, feeling her own resolve break, Laura cupped it in her mouth, tracing her left hand up Carmilla’s body and holding her other breast. She grinds her hips into Carmilla’s stomach, as she releases her mouth and captures it in Carmilla’s other breast. 

 

                 “God, Laura. You feel so good. Oh, fuck,” Carmilla whimpers, leaning her head back. “Right there. Right  _ there,  _ baby.”   

 

    She loved seeing Carmilla writhe and crumble under her touch. The way she moaned her name sent fire up Laura’s skin, a feeling unfathomable to describe. It made her feel confident. Empowered. Laura left a trail of hickey’s  down Carmilla’s stomach, her lips already swollen from sucking on her breasts. Her skin was already red from the sun, and now it had love bites plastered in every corner. They were going to need a lot of disinfectant spray later when the pleasure wears off and her soulmate starts feeling the pain. 

 

        Laura inches slowly by Carmilla’s clit, her gentle hands resting just underneath her thighs. With a nudge, Laura spread Carmilla’s legs wide enough so she could fit her entire head, and began kissing her right in that sweet spot. 

 

         “Fucking hell, Laura,” Carmilla breaths weakly, “I’m going to come.” 

 

Laura released her hold on Carmilla’s thighs and brought her lips just underneath Carmilla’s ear, where their precious mate mark was. Over the years, the beloved mark had somehow grown from the little corner on her ear down her neck, and now it was an array of stars and swirls so complex neither woman can decipher each constellation. The circular formation had stayed, to signify the unity and love both souls had for each other. It was amazing how she could admire it every day and still be shocked that Carmilla’s soul was shared with hers. In this crazy, ever changing world they found themselves in, having a soulmate gave her a sense of purpose. 

          Somehow, in this large, vast universe, the celestial gods had blessed Carmilla to be Laura’s forever. 

 

         Honestly, how did she ever get so lucky? What did she ever do to be blessed with this kind of love?   

 

    She held onto Carmilla as she came for her, burying her face in her soulmate’s shoulder to regain her emotions. 

        Taking a deep breath, Laura waited until Carm had her orgasm to gently ease her two fingers into her clit. She grinded her hips again, feeling every fiber of her being burning with desire. 

 

           “I swear Laura, if you try to make me come again, I won’t hold on for this loofa much longer…” Carmilla threatens, her composure failing.     

 

          Laura snickered at how childish she sounded, and used her other hand to gently caress Carmilla’s ass in an attempt to soothe her. She placed multiple kisses around her thighs and her stomach once more, reveling in her touch, her taste, her love. 

 

         “F-fuck…” Her wife mumbles, as Laura thrusts her fingers deeper in.

 

                 Skin to skin. Chest to chest. Nothing but pure, honest love poured out from both of their souls. Laura loved moments like these. Where they were completely lost in one another. Where nothing else mattered. 

 

        Time may be an illusion, but love wasn’t. 

 

  “Ha-haaa…” Laura hears herself mumble, as Carmilla comes back to her, and wearily slumps her shoulders. She is breathing heavily now, trying to catch her breath, and the loofa falls from her hands. 

 

     They collapse on each other, Laura’s face buried in Carmilla’s breasts while Carmilla’s hands greedily snaked across her neck. Her soulmate slipped further into the shower bringing Laura down with her, and they held each other for a long moment. 

 

            Worried at Carmilla’s silence, Laura cups her cheek and pulls her in for a tender, languid kiss. “Are you okay?” She murmured, “...come back to me, Carm.” 

 

        “M’fine,” She replies, shaking her head, “That was just… I’m just… wow.” 

 

    “Cat got your tongue?” Laura asks with a giggle. 

 

                “You’re so fucking sexy, oh my god.” Carmilla could all but announce, a wicked grin on her face. 

 

              Laura shook her head and gave her a bewildered smile. She then placed her hand on Carmilla’s skin and winced, “Shit Carm, you’re burning up.” 

              “I’m burning with my love and desire for you.” She replied with a dazed smile, lulling her head. “I don’t feel anything. What’re yah talking about?” 

 

          “You will feel the pain in a moment if I don’t take care of you soon.” Laura sighs and she gets out of the shower, draining the murky water that was now filled with cum and sand. It lost its romantic appeal. They climbed out of the shower. Carmilla whines, reaching out for her with a desire to cuddle more, but Laura shook her head. “Lay down on the bed, love, and I’ll bring back a cold compress and some aloe vera.” 

 

         “Hey, Laura,” Carmilla said dopily, “Happy anniversary!” She sang, causing Laura to roll her eyes. 

 

      “Yes, I know. Happy anniversary. You’ve told me that plenty of times. Please go to bed. I’ll be back to take care of you.” 

 

         Carmilla wrapped her arms around Laura’s waist, and sighs deeply, “I love experiencing this wonderful thing called life with you. I love you and our babies.” 

 

        “Oh, Carm…” Laura smiles tearfully, placing a kiss on her cheek, “I love you and our babies too.”  

 

            On that note, Laura managed to free herself from the clingy hands of her soulmate, ushering her to bed. Her happy babbling of how in love she was with life only lasted for two hours until Carmilla started wailing in pain about how much her skin was burning, and Laura tended to her. It wasn’t something that either woman wanted to end their six year anniversary on, but unfortunately for Carmilla she got the burnt end of the stick (literally).  

 

       Laura let out a relieved sigh when Carmilla’s breathing finally slowed to a normal rate, and her eyelids were finally shut tight. A cool compress was placed on her head while wet clothes were on her stomach and thighs. Carmilla’s sunburn was usually worse than this and she counted her blessings--her wife would be back to normal in a few days. No more trips to the beach for a while. 

 

         Laura smiled and snuggled up to her soulmate, happy now that they made it through the worst part and she was finally at peace. Their puppy--who was no longer a puppy, but Laura was still in denial of her large, adorable pet--Winnie, jumped onto bed and wedged herself in between the two women, licking Carm’s face and peering excitedly at Laura. 

 

          She laughs, “Normally I’d kick you off the bed but yes, since your mommy is sick you can comfort her and lay next to her. You’re such a smart doggo.” Winnie barked quietly, giving her cheek a gentle lick as well, before promptly snuggling up to Carmilla and falling asleep. 

 

         “How did I get so lucky?” Laura mumbled quietly to herself, not wanting to miss another second of this special moment. But her eyelids drooped, and her body was screaming at her to rest, even more so that she was feeding for two now. Yawning one last time, she wrapped her arms around her family, and fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. 

     When she dreamed, she dreamt of kisses and cocoa and stars and dancing. 


End file.
